Yesterday I spent a few minutes thinking about this coming Sunday. In my congregation, we will be observing All Saints' Day. It's a day that is set aside to remember those who have gone before us in the faith, and who have now received their eternal inheritance with God in Jesus. In many ways, this is a very moving day to observe, as many churches will read out the names of those that have died to this life and to sin, and now live with God. Those names bring back memories of dearly loved ones, of people that we knew well, and with whom we get the joy and privilege of spending eternity.
Part of my reflection for this day came from the words of 1 John 3:1-3. In there, John refers to believers in Christ Jesus as "little children." It's a very endearing term to use, especially with the pictures and images that come along with it. We are the children of God. We are the people who are loved by God.
As you think about the life of a child, we see some of those same reflections in our lives as Christians. A child is (usually) pretty proud of his or her parents. A child doesn't want someone talking bad about the parents. A child is happy to see parents, and looks to the parents to care for them, to give them what they need, and to provide for their well-being. In all of these, the reflection of God should be pretty obvious.
Being a child also means that you find a lot of joy in life. For many children, the world is simply filled with wonders that are out there to discover. I would even say that it's kind of sad when we lose our sense of wonder in this creation of God's. When we cannot find joy, is it because we have become too focused on our self-importance? Do we risk losing the joy and wonder of seeing God's handiwork if we're too focused on our own stuff and life?
Being a child means that you are dearly loved. It means that you have "Daddy", who is there to take care of you and to stand up for you. And here is where we see that God is the best "Daddy" imaginable. Not only has He provided for all that we need in life, He even goes so far as to give up His best in order to make sure that we belong to Him. That's what Jesus and the cross and the resurrection is all about.
In the end, being a child means that we are loved. Even though that love may not be revealing its complete form among us now, it still spills over into this life. And so, in our interactions with one another, it would be great if we could all see each other as little children, children who are dearly loved by the Father.
Part of my reflection for this day came from the words of 1 John 3:1-3. In there, John refers to believers in Christ Jesus as "little children." It's a very endearing term to use, especially with the pictures and images that come along with it. We are the children of God. We are the people who are loved by God.
As you think about the life of a child, we see some of those same reflections in our lives as Christians. A child is (usually) pretty proud of his or her parents. A child doesn't want someone talking bad about the parents. A child is happy to see parents, and looks to the parents to care for them, to give them what they need, and to provide for their well-being. In all of these, the reflection of God should be pretty obvious.
Being a child also means that you find a lot of joy in life. For many children, the world is simply filled with wonders that are out there to discover. I would even say that it's kind of sad when we lose our sense of wonder in this creation of God's. When we cannot find joy, is it because we have become too focused on our self-importance? Do we risk losing the joy and wonder of seeing God's handiwork if we're too focused on our own stuff and life?
Being a child means that you are dearly loved. It means that you have "Daddy", who is there to take care of you and to stand up for you. And here is where we see that God is the best "Daddy" imaginable. Not only has He provided for all that we need in life, He even goes so far as to give up His best in order to make sure that we belong to Him. That's what Jesus and the cross and the resurrection is all about.
In the end, being a child means that we are loved. Even though that love may not be revealing its complete form among us now, it still spills over into this life. And so, in our interactions with one another, it would be great if we could all see each other as little children, children who are dearly loved by the Father.
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