God's Adoption and the Struggles of Daily Life — Broken & Hopeful

I was talking with a counselee the other day about the impact of the Gospel on our daily lives. I think we often separate the saving life of Christ from the day-to-day, seeing it instead as a one-time deliverance for the future rather than affecting the hell I’m in right now. I’ve been seeing these videos going around on Facebook in which kids ask their step-father to adopt them legally. Every one of them makes me break down as I watch these grown men get weepy immediately upon realizing the kids they have raised as their own are asking them to make it official and recognizing their hard work and dedication to them in that way. Then it hit me the other day—that’s what God has done for us and He gets really serious about talking about this adoption. He has transferred us from darkness to light (Col 1:13). He calls us sons not slaves (Gal 4:7). This is a really big deal to Him.So what’s the big deal about adoption? The kids in these videos were already being treated like these men’s actual children—why did they want adoption legally? I think for the same reason that adoption is important to God. It’s a recognition of the commitment already made (by Jesus on the cross) that allows an expectation and desire to honor on the part of the child. He’s already done all the work, and will continue to do it throughout our daily lives. But our adoption allows us to approach the throne of grace with confidence—to come to our gracious, patient Father with all of the cares of the day knowing that He will continue to be just as He always is. And we expect Him to show up and we honor Him in our choices, not because we operate out of fear, but because we are His kids and we love Him! And then He promises to be enough for all that stuff in daily life through His Life within us!So whatever hell you are facing today, you have a good Father who loves you and is working all things together for your good. His Life will be enough for all the patience, wisdom, strength, determination, bravery and love you need. You simply must look to Him for it. We approach our Father and ask, knowing that He is already at work meeting the needs in us through His Life. He doesn’t abandon us after saving us from a distant separation. He walks with us and commits His Life to us over and over every day.You are adopted. You are transferred. You are free. Live out of that truth.Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God. Galatians 4:6-7

Give

Subscribe to the Daybreak Devotions for Women

Be inspired by God's Word every day! Delivered to your inbox.


More from Hannah Morrell

  • featureImage

    Be Still — Broken & Hopeful

    When the world is spinning and feels like you are in a tornado, When the stress ramps up and starts to choke you. When the pain of loss and grief threatens to drown you in tears. When the overwhelm and anxiety threaten stagnate you in everything today. Be still. Know that I am God. When I can’t fi

    3 min read
  • featureImage

    God's Great Reversals — Broken & Hopeful

    What do we do with pain? I really believe we only have two options, although the way these present can look different. The first option is to allow it to control us, whether by trying to deny or ignore it, or by focusing on it entirely and allowing it to tell us who we are. The second option is to a

    4 min read
  • featureImage

    A Posture of Receiving — Broken & Hopeful

    Many times in circles of Christ-followers, we obsess on what we are doing “for” God and how much we are producing, trying desperately to make Him happy with us. I find this stems from an incorrect concept of God, one who is angry and sets unrealistic standards for us, waiting to punish us when we do

    5 min read
  • featureImage

    Bringing Fear to the Light — Broken & Hopeful

    I have been reading a book recently that has made me think deeply about my greatest fears. (It’s Living Fearless by Jamie Winship in case you want to read it. I highly recommend!) Most of the time in the past, I try to push fear away, just telling myself to deny it and move on anyway. I think it’s

    5 min read
  • featureImage

    The Life-altering Truth of Identity in Christ — Broken & Hopeful

    Sometimes people question my slight obsession with teaching people to differentiate between lies and truth when it comes to identity messages. I am, indeed, very focused on doing this because I believe it makes such a difference in how you live life. I think most of the identity messages we have r

    4 min read

Editor's Picks

More from Hannah Morrell

  • featureImage

    Be Still — Broken & Hopeful

    When the world is spinning and feels like you are in a tornado, When the stress ramps up and starts to choke you. When the pain of loss and grief threatens to drown you in tears. When the overwhelm and anxiety threaten stagnate you in everything today. Be still. Know that I am God. When I can’t fi

    3 min read
  • featureImage

    God's Great Reversals — Broken & Hopeful

    What do we do with pain? I really believe we only have two options, although the way these present can look different. The first option is to allow it to control us, whether by trying to deny or ignore it, or by focusing on it entirely and allowing it to tell us who we are. The second option is to a

    4 min read
  • featureImage

    A Posture of Receiving — Broken & Hopeful

    Many times in circles of Christ-followers, we obsess on what we are doing “for” God and how much we are producing, trying desperately to make Him happy with us. I find this stems from an incorrect concept of God, one who is angry and sets unrealistic standards for us, waiting to punish us when we do

    5 min read
  • featureImage

    Bringing Fear to the Light — Broken & Hopeful

    I have been reading a book recently that has made me think deeply about my greatest fears. (It’s Living Fearless by Jamie Winship in case you want to read it. I highly recommend!) Most of the time in the past, I try to push fear away, just telling myself to deny it and move on anyway. I think it’s

    5 min read
  • featureImage

    The Life-altering Truth of Identity in Christ — Broken & Hopeful

    Sometimes people question my slight obsession with teaching people to differentiate between lies and truth when it comes to identity messages. I am, indeed, very focused on doing this because I believe it makes such a difference in how you live life. I think most of the identity messages we have r

    4 min read