There are some teachings in the bible that does not naturally touch my heart. One of these teachings is adoption- that Christians are adopted as sons of God because of Christ's sacrifice. It probably does not touch my heart because I have not experienced being an orphan. Also, for a variety of reasons, being part of a family was not a big deal.

     I remember the first time I appreciated this doctrine. One day at my work, one of the kids made a statement that stuck to my mind. He said, "if this staff member really cares for me, then she would adopt me." 

    At first, I thought I would respond by making an excuse for the staff member not being able to adopt him. However, as I think about it, I realized that a residential facility could never be a home. Staff come and go into the life of the kids. Staff's life is not tied to the child's life.

     In a family, the life of the parents who have committed their life to the child is bound with the life of the child. When a child is sick, the parent would sometimes stay near the child for a whole night. This kind of committment is what this child was looking for, and staff members could never provide that committment. What this child needs is a family that would bind their life to his life. That is his deepest desire.

     All of us sometimes feel alone. We need someone who is committed to us in the midst of sin, disappointments, and finally death. We need someone who will bind his life to our life. Ultimately, the death of Jesus, God's son, is the expression of God's binding his life to the life of the believer. As one song says "I'm forgiven, because you were forsken". 

     May you find comfort in God's binding his life to your life, a truth expressed in the word adoption. As Christians, may we reflect in our committment to others, the committment of our God who adopts us into his family.