Children of God

I received an email the other day from a high school friend with photos of her 13 month old. He's just begun to walk without holding his mom's hand. These photos reminded me of our little Alex, who has just begun to crawl and "cruise" and is going through his "solid" foods at an incredible rate now. It's so exciting to watch our children grow. Others in our congregation have seen their children graduate from high school or college, land their first job, marry the love of their lives and have children of their own. Some do not have children of their own, but have cared for others as if they were their own children. How proud we are of our children as we watch them grow through each stage of life!

It occured to me as I admire my daughters and son, how much more our Father in Heaven admires us as we grow in faith and love, as we grow into mature Christians in the image of his Son, Jesus. But just as our children grow strong in part from hardships, for instance falling down while learning to walk, we also as children of God gain maturity through hardships.

Paul says in the book of Romans: We rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. Romans 5:3-5

The next time you admire the growth of a child, remember that growth does not come easily. But with the help of a loving parent or other caregivers, our children gain victory over each hurdle they encounter. How much more does our loving heavenly Parent help us to gain victory through our journey of faith?