RELEASED: Living From Our True Identity, Part 2
SCRIPTURE
See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And so we are! - 1 John 3:1 (ESV)
MEDITATION
The Father calls us his children.
And so we are.
How can we more fully embrace our identity as children?
God names and identifies us as his “children” countless times in scripture. The "child" identity is arguably the most emphasized identity in the New Testament. Our identity as children must be pretty significant. Jesus affirmed this when he said we must “become like children,” and that the greatest in the Kingdom of God are those like children (Matt. 18:1–4).
What if the way to maturity was actually to become like a child? You’re reading the words of someone (hey, I’m Hannah - my friend Shannon and I wrote this devotional) who has found a lot of safety in responsibility and order, and who operates with a strong desire to do everything well. In my mind, maturity as an adult looks like growing up, making better decisions, and doing hard things. However, the more I’ve come to embrace and believe that I am God’s child, the more I’ve been able to exhale and live like a child. As Jesus has shown me what it is to be childlike, the more I’ve seen the fruits of joy, trust, freedom, innocence, wonder, peace, and creativity mature in me.
This is not something I learned overnight, but something the Holy Spirit has gently been teaching me as I’ve encountered different stresses in life. Now, when I feel fear or stress, I ask myself, “What would a child trusting a good father do?” Well-loved children move through life from a place of trust. They assume they’re cared for. They believe they’re safe. And they act from that place. I’m realizing that this is what freedom in Jesus actually looks like—not the absence of responsibility, but the absence of anxious striving.
In my sanctified imagination, I see it playing out like this: I’m a young girl again, living in the House of God. I have full reign of the cupboards when I’m hungry. My artwork is displayed on the fridge with pride. I can try and fail, and I’m given the grace to try again. I trust that my Dad is taking care of all that I can’t see, and I take him at his word the first time.
Simply resting in the love of the Father to care for all of my needs.
In other words, I’m free.
And this freedom is an invitation extended to every one of us.
Jesus invites us to become like children.
As we learn to trust the Father like a child, we often begin to rediscover parts of ourselves that have been buried beneath the weight of adult responsibilities and worries. This experience can feel like a reunion with our younger self, so to speak. We can recollect the unique things that brought us joy as children and recover the wonder, creativity, and delight that God never intended for us to lose.
God longs for this. He wants to restore all of you—including your younger self, with all the unique ways he created you to delight in him and engage with the world. I (Shannon) have experienced this kind of restoration, and it has dramatically changed my life and ministry. In becoming more like a child, I've discovered a path to deeper levels of maturity and greater heights of freedom than I ever found through striving. I am learning how to operate from who I am, rather than who I’ve been told to be. And that has made all the difference.
The Father calls us his children.
And so we are.
Artwork by Hannah
REFLECTION
Listen to this song: “Love Mindset” by William Augusto. Invite the Lord to use your God-given imagination to speak to you about your identity as a child of God. Journal about what you see and hear.
Think about a situation in your life that has been weighing on you… Ask the Holy Spirit to show you what it would look like to respond from your identity as a child.
Reflect on what you were like as a child… What were you passionate about? What did you like to do? What are five traits you liked about yourself?
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ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Hannah is on the Gospel Movement Team in Dallas, Texas. She has been in the disciple-making world working among Muslims for the past seven years and has a heart to equip the Church to live on mission. Despite writing about being like a child, a lot of her hobbies likely resonate more with an older demographic: painting, cross-stitch, knitting, embroidery—really anything she can get her hands on. It’s one of the things that makes her feel like a child.
Shannon Mahan is also a part of the Dallas Gospel Movement Team. She is a shepherd at heart, passionate about equipping missionaries to flourish, and helping people experience emotional healing. She is also passionate about the role of creativity in spiritual formation. She loves making music and abstract painting, and prefers to spend her days outdoors as much as possible.