READ: JOHN 1:12-13; ROMANS 8:15-30; 1 JOHN 3:1-5

I look in the mirror and meet my gaze. Who am I? I can study my looks and see bits and pieces of my parents, and similarities to my siblings. I can remember my ancestors and where they came from and know that they are the reason I look the way I do. But beyond the way I look, beyond what I see in the mirror, who am I?

I am God’s child. That thought brings comfort. It gives peace. No matter who my looks remind me of, no matter my family or ancestry or anything else about me, the truth is that I am God’s child. And that matters more than anything else.

I am God’s child, and I want to live like it. I want to live for Him. When others see me, I want them to know who I am. I want to shine the light of Jesus. I want to show the world who He is. I want to glance in the mirror and not just see myself, but see God working in me.

I am God’s child. I am so loved by Him. And therefore, I’m free to love Him back—and free to live for Him. • Bethany Acker

• Throughout our lives, we all wonder, “Who am I?” There may be times when this question feels more difficult to answer. We may look to our families or ancestry—or perhaps to our appearance, abilities, or accomplishments—to try to discover who we are. But any answer to the question of identity will always be incomplete without Jesus. While our families and ancestry are certainly important, they are not the most central part of who we are. If you’ve put your trust in Jesus, you have been adopted into God’s family as His dearly loved child—and nothing can shake that. (You can find out more on our "Know Jesus" page.) How could it be comforting and empowering to know that, above all else, you are God’s child?

• In Ephesians 5:1, we are called to imitate Jesus like a small child imitates their loving parent. According to verses 2-20, what does this look like practically?

See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! 1 John 3:1 (NLT)