But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir. (Galatians 4:4–7 NIV)
Without realizing it, we look for ways to prove our value and worth, especially when it comes to the relationships in our lives. When things are going well between us and the people in our lives, we feel good about ourselves. But when we are mistreated, overlooked, or the target of an offense, we worry about what that says of our value. Our defenses rise, and we look for any way to discredit the notion that we aren’t good enough.
But that argument has already been won by God. He gave the absolute most he could in order to make us his children and have a relationship with us. The word “adoption” in these verses reminds us that he made a decision to make us his own. God himself chose you. That’s how much value you have!
What would it look like if we approached all of our relationships—in marriage and family, at work, and in friendships—with absolute confidence that we have infinite value to God? What if we never had to worry that we didn’t matter or weren’t worth choosing? That’s the kind of life already available to us because of Jesus. No matter what we navigate in our relationships, it will never change or challenge the value we have. God showed you that you are worth everything.
Prayer
God, thank you for choosing me as your child. I praise you for going to such great measures to make me yours forever. Thank you for the people you’ve placed in my life. Help me to experience more of your love through them. And when the relationships in my life are challenging or strained—when the words and actions of others tempt me to believe I need to fight and reach and strive to prove my worth—remind me that my worth has already been decided by you. Let me live today as your child, confident that you, the God of the universe, made me your own and would do anything to be with me. Let the people around me experience the overflow of your love for me and see you through every interaction I have today.
