In the midst of something that is hard, you have to remember the "why". Without the "why", there's no motivation for sticking to it when the going gets tough.
Why do I workout? Because I want to stay healthy for my husband and future kids.
Why do I eat healthy? Because I want to stay healthy and fit for my husband and future kids.
Why do I go to work? Because I need money so that I can have a roof over my head and food to eat.
Why am I a nurse? Because I love caring for the sick and hurting and helping others in a time of need and desperation.
Why am I adopting? Because I want to give a child a home; to give a child a future; to give a child redemption from a situation that was not fit for the child.
Why am I adopting? Because as a Christian, I believe that earthly adoption is a beautiful example of the eternal adoption I have in Jesus Christ and I want to give back to a child here on earth for what Jesus did for this child. right. here.
Parallels between Earthly and Eternal adoption:
1) It's Costly
In order for there to be a hope and a future for mankind, a price had to be paid.
Because of the sin of Adam and Eve in the Garden at the beginning of time, all mankind was cursed with sin.
God gave Adam and Eve a choice and they chose their own way instead of God's way. Because of that choice, we are all eternally separated from God.
God is perfect and He cannot look on sin.
However, God loved us too much to leave us in a state of desperation. So, He chose to make a way to adopt us. He sent His one and only son, Jesus, to die for us. He chose to allow His perfect, wonderful Son to die; to take upon himself ALL of our sin, so that He could have a relationship with us- sinful, broken, hurting, depressed, poor, mankind- and give us the beautiful hope of eternity with Him in heaven.
Our earthly adoption is costly.
It means we aren't going on a nice vacation this year.
It means we aren't buying nice Christmas gifts for each other this year.
It means we will continue to rent a home for a few more years.
However, the cost to bring home our adoptive child pales in comparison to the cost Jesus paid in order to bring us home as His adoptive children.
2) It's a Choice
Jesus paid it all for us. And now, we choose.
We choose to accept that free gift of eternal life...of adoption.
When we choose the gift of adoption that He offers to mankind, we become a part of the family of God.
Just like a family will choose us and their child will become a part of our family and no longer be a part of his or her birth family, so we also leave behind the birth into a sinful life and become heirs of God's perfect family.
With that choosing to become a part of God's family comes a choice to be like that family. When we choose to be adopted into the family of God, we choose to say no to the sins of this world- drugs, drunkenness, sex outside of marriage, pornography, crude language and behavior, stealing, lying, etc.- because those things don't characterize God and who He is.
God wants all of mankind to make a choice, a choice to choose His family and become an adopted heir of Jesus Christ!
3) It's Unconditional
When Jesus adopts us into His family, it's not because we have it all together.
It's not because we look great.
It's not because we do good works.
No.
Jesus chose to pay the price and give us a free gift of eternal life with Him because...He love us. Unconditionally.
And, when we choose to be a part of His family, nothing can ever change that. We have taken on His name. We have been given the inheritance of eternal life. We have been given the power and indwelling of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
And nothing, once we are adopted into His family, nothing can ever or will ever separate us from Him.
When our child comes home with us it won't be because they are perfect. Or have it all together. Or look the cutest. Or have the best genetic makeup.
No.
It will be because we love them...unconditionally.
When our child comes home with us and takes on our name, nothing will ever be able to separate that child from us. We will never stop loving that child no matter what he or she might do in the future. That child was chosen and wanted and will forever be ours.
And that's exactly how Jesus sees us. He loves us. He wants us. He chose to pay the greatest sacrifice for us. He desires that none should perish but have everlasting life.
Have you been adopted? Have you chosen to leave this earthly life of sin and instead accept the costly, free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ? Have you chosen to become adopted into the family of God and be given the inheritance of eternal life in heaven with Him?
If you haven't been eternally adopted, I encourage you to take a minute now and ask Jesus to come into your heart, to acknowledge that you are a sinner in need of a Savior, to have Jesus cleanse you from all of your sins, and to ask Him to become the Lord of your life.
When you make this choice, you become adopted into God's family. You become an heir to the eternal life that Jesus promises to all who are called under His name...His family. No longer will you be separated by sin and sentenced to hell forever, but you will be a child of God with the hope of eternal glory in heaven...with your eternal adopted family.
This. This is why I am adopting.
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