Children of God

" He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God."
John 1:10-13 

This is fundamentally one of the greatest statements about Jesus ever written. I think of the reality of what is being said by the great apostle John, and realize that Jesus was not welcomed in this world at all. The interesting thing about this is the fact that Jesus created the world. John made it clear that Jesus was there when God created everything, so when he came, he was coming to a place that was already his. Yet he was treated as an alien, a foreigner, a stranger in a strange land. People did not recognize him then and many still do not. 
    To those of us who have received him and believed in him, the greatest gift has been given. It is this gift that has changed us for eternity and given us a position far above anything we could ever hope for. You see, we have been given the right to be the children of God. What an incredible thought it is to know that we are his own children. Since this is true, we can be assured that he treats us as his own. Some say that God is angry. They believe him to be distant and disinterested in our lives. They suppose that he is aloof and only gets involved when there is a major world event. But the opposite is true. God is intimately involved in each of our lives because he is our Father and we are his children. Good fathers treat their children with love, discipline, and care. This is how God treats us. He wants the best for us. He cries when we are hurting. He laughs with joy when we receive his indescribable gifts like a child on Christmas morning. He loves us and is always there, whether we see him or not. This is our Father, and we are his children.
    This miracle relationship was accomplished because Jesus came as an uninvited stranger to a world that he already owned. Selflessly, he gave himself up for us and invited us to be God's children along with him. He is God's Son, yet he is fully God. So we are both his children and his siblings, granted the privileges of sonship. We are prodigals. We ran away from Him to pursue selfish ambitions and pleasures. Yet when we returned, he welcomed us as his own. We need not ask to be his slaves, he has given us all the rights of sons and daughters, heirs of the kingdom. 
    It encourages and lifts my spirit as I think about this wonderful truth. I am God's son! Jesus gave me the right, Father accepted me, and the Holy Spirit walks with me. I cannot help but thank and praise God for the blessing of being his son. Thank him, along with me, for accepting us as his children. Thank him for being the most wonderful Father we could ever imagine. Our earthly fathers may fail us, they may not always be there for us. But God is always there. He loves and cares for us as his own children, because we are. Meditate on this and lift your eyes toward heaven. God is waiting for you.