"Abba, Father!" - A Reflection on Romans 8:15-16

For the past few weeks, Romans (a book in the New Testament) has kept popping up in different places in my life. First, I read some verses from Romans when I was preparing for an Alpha small group. The very next day, the leader of my Bible study read the very same verse. Later on in prayer, I felt called to read more of this book. What was God trying to tell me through Romans? 

One of the main verses that kept popping up was:

“For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received a spirit of adoption, through which we cry, ‘Abba, Father!’ it is the Spirit himself bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God.” Romans 8:15-16

In this verse, we are told that the spirit we’ve received is not one of fear, insecurity, doubt, or discouragement, but one of adoption. We are not called to live out of this fear. Rather, we are called to live out of the truth -- to live out of the spirit of adoption. What does living out of a spirit of adoption mean?

It means that we are beloved sons and daughters of God, our good, loving, and merciful Father. He will not leave us orphaned because He is always with us, encouraging us and guiding us through life. We are called to live out of the fact that we are children of a glorious God.

Living out of our identity as children of God is a journey, and can take time. A good place to start is to talk to God about your fears, insecurities, struggles, and doubts! Give your fears to the Lord, and ask Him to help you through them. God wants to hear about every single part of your life. He wants to be invited into your life, even the parts that you aren’t proud of or are scared to share with Him. Be real, open, and honest with Him. Take time in prayer to learn about His love for you.

So, what was God trying to tell me through Romans? Well, I'm still praying through that! But what I do know for sure is that God wants to hear about all of the moments throughout my day where I doubt myself in small ways or experience fear and insecurity. He wants to love me through all of my weaknesses and fear. He wants to encourage me and give me strength. How beautiful is that!? So, how will I respond? I'll respond by going to God in prayer and in the sacraments and allowing Him to love me, His daughter.

In Christ,

Tabitha Jones

Communications Coordinator

tabithaj@qas.org

Strengths: Empathy, Individualization, Futuristic, Restorative, Belief