As we’ve seen over the past two weeks, we worship a God who works! And next week, we’ll see that God has created us to work in partnership with him.
But before we look too closely at God’s call for us to create, we need to remember this: Before God calls us to do a single thing, he calls us to be his child. 1 John 3:1 says, “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!”
Before we were given a task, we were given an identity—children created “in the image of God” (see Genesis 1:27)—a scene wonderfully reimagined by Jonathan David, the illustrator of The Creator in You.
And there was clearly a relationship between God and human beings before he put them to work in the Garden of Eden. There was love and acceptance before they did a single thing.
This unconditional relationship that God has with us is illustrated beautifully at Jesus’s baptism. Matthew records the scene saying, “As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water….And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased’” (Matthew 3:16-17).
Now here’s what’s remarkable about this scene: God spoke those words over Jesus before his “public ministry.” Before Jesus preached a word, the Father said he was “well pleased” with him simply because he was God’s son.
Believer, through faith in Christ, the same can be said of you. The God of the universe is “well pleased” with you, simply because you are a part of the family! God may have called you to work for him as an entrepreneur, artist, or parent. But before that, he called you to be his child. That is your primary identity. In the words of Os Guinness, “First and foremost we are called to Someone…not to something…or to somewhere.”
And in my experience, it’s the security of that primary identity—your status as an adopted child of God regardless of your performance—that leads people to be the best entrepreneurs, artists, and parents. Why? Because working to earn someone’s favor is exhausting. But working in response to unconditional favor is intoxicating.
Your Father is well pleased with you before you do a single thing. Rest in that truth today. And then come back next week to see God putting you to work for his glory!
P.S. Want the kids in your life to understand these truths? Pick up a copy of The Creator in You!
P.P.S. Want a version of today’s devotional that you can read with your kids? Check out the children’s version of this series on YouVersion’s Bible App!
