Children of God
How has your understanding of being a “child of God” shaped your faith—and what about this language might need to be reimagined for ou in this season?
1 John 3:1
See what love Abba God has lavished on us
in letting us be called God’s children!
I don’t love being called a “child of God.”
I equate being a child with powerlessness and fear. I’ve worked very hard to find my power and not be afraid - why would I want to go back?
It’s also confusing to me how the scripture calls children to be righteous. Have you ever met kids at the playground? Playing fair is hard.
Though I don’t love the “children of God” language, there are littles in my life I love deeply. I don’t have kids, but I am a self-appointed “cool aunt.” My nieces and nephews take all the best parts of my family – where the harsh words of my childhood still ache, I see my nieces and nephews being raised with much more kindness.
As I think about them, I’m open to seeing the “child of God” language as less about powerlessness and more about potential… less about perfection and more about presence… less about being controlled and more about being cherished.
How has your understanding of being a “child of God” shaped your faith—and what about this language might need to be reimagined for ou in this season?
–Jeanette Capel