Adoption
Adoption isn’t something you earn. It’s a gift you receive. Can you imagine prospective parents saying, “We’d like to adopt little Johnnie, but first we want to know does he have a house, money for tuition, a ride to school in the morning and clothes to wear every day? No agency would stand for such talk. They’d say: “Wait a minute, you don’t adopt little Johnnie because of what he has, you adopt him because of what he needs. He needs a loving home.”

The apostle Paul writes, “[We] have received the spirit of adoption… by which we cry out ‘Abba! Father'” (Romans 8:15). Adoptive parents understand these words. They know what it means to have an emptiness in their hearts, to hunt, set out on a mission, take responsibility for a child perhaps with a spotted past and a dubious future. And that’s what God offers us! Knowing full well the trouble we humans can be. Regardless of the past He offers us the right to call Him “Abba,” which literally means, “My daddy.”

Paul didn’t say we’ve earned the spirit of adoption. He said we’ve received it. Why is that important? Because if we can’t earn it by our efforts, we can’t lose it through our poor performance. If we can’t earn it or deserve, it’s a gift! Why does any parent want a child? To love and to share their life with – and that’s how God feels about you today!

Peter Morphew – College Chaplain