Summer School: “Freedom in Christ” — Thursday
Galatians 4:4-7
But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir. (NIV)
I was adopted from Korea when I was 8 months old. To make a long story very short, my birth mother decided to give me up within days of finding out she was pregnant. My entire life, I grew up hearing that my birth mom was so brave for her decision. Externally, I would smile and agree, but internally, I could feel myself seething with frustration and anger. All I could think about was that my birth mom didn’t love me or want me, and therefore, I was unlovable and unwanted. Although I knew the specifics of her difficult living situation and her past, I still couldn’t understand why she wouldn’t want to stand by her only child.
Over the past four years, I have reconciled the parts of my adoption story that I don’t understand with the parts of my story that I DO understand. Although I will never fully understand her reasons for putting me up for adoption, I know without a shadow of a doubt that I was adopted by an incredible family who not only loved me, but wanted me, even before they knew who I was. Despite not being related to my parents by blood, my relation to them is the same as if I were, because they chose me. They wanted me, and the day the adoption agency sent them a picture of me, they called me their daughter.
In today’s scripture, the Aramaic word Abba means “Father.” God is our good Father, our Abba. He doesn’t just love us, but He wants us. Sin separates us from our Dad, but Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross reconciles our relationship with Him. We are adopted into His family because He chose all of us to be His sons and daughters, and now we live in freedom knowing that He is our good Father. He is our Abba.
Thursday’s Reflection
Take some time today to thank God for His redemption, and for being a good Father. If you have a tough relationship with your earthly dad, rest in the fact that your Heavenly Father loves you more than you could ever imagine—and if that’s a difficult idea to grasp, ask Him to help you understand this love and see Him as your perfect Father. If you have a great earthly dad, remember and rejoice in the fact that his love is just a taste of the love of our Abba.