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The following comes from the devotional book “What Now?” by Ashley Akers. To learn more, go to www.whatnowdevo.com.

Birth

When I was growing up, I often wondered why I was born into my family. Nobody knew about my childhood hardships, not even my best friend. I would pretend to be somebody else in a different family, so the reality of my life wouldn’t seem so bad. But, all my pretending bred jealousy. I became jealous of loving parents who were active in their kids’ lives. Jealous of how loved and cherished they were. I wanted that more than anything! My struggles were deep, and my mom did the best she could under the circumstances with my father. It was even hard to have a good relationship with my mom when my father didn’t allow it. We were a dysfunctional family. We fought. We yelled. We had no peace. There. Was. Little. Laughter. It was hard. I love my family and I know I couldn’t choose the one I was born into, but I can choose now. I can choose to be born again into a new family. I’m not talking about physically; I’m talking about spiritually.

John 1:12-13 says, But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

Jesus chose you! He loves you. He wants you. But, you must choose Him too, to become a part of His family, which is becoming spiritually reborn.

2 Corinthians 5:17 says, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

This rebirth will begin to change your heart desires from your old ways to new ways that are of God. You become alive, spiritually. You become new.

You can start over! You may ask, how do you become spiritually reborn? Through faith. Believe in Jesus and submit your will to Him. When you do this, you become a child of God and will inherit everything He has to offer!

On the flip side, Jesus said in John 3:3, Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Life consists of a multitude of choices and accepting or rejecting Jesus is one of them. If you choose not to accept Jesus, you will not be born again and see the kingdom of God. This important choice in your life today will affect where you spend all of eternity. I am very thankful that I chose Jesus and I have never looked back! My childhood longings for a perfect family have been fulfilled in Jesus.

I am loved. I am cherished. And so are you.

Reflection Questions

1.       Have you ever questioned why you were born into your family? Why?

2.       Have you made the choice to choose Jesus?

3.       What feelings well up inside knowing that being a child of God means to inherit everything He has?