A Thought For The Week Of June 30

"You see, you have not received a spirit that returns you to slavery, so you have nothing to fear. The Spirit you have received adopts you and welcomes you into God’s own family. That’s why we call out to Him, 'Abba! Father!' as we would address a loving daddy." (Romans 8:15, The Voice) I've always loved "Abba." Not the musical group (although I like them as well) but the way the word is used by Jesus and then in the letters of Paul. "Abba." It's often said that the word means "daddy." Basically, it's the word that was usually used by children when they addressed their father. It's a familiar and even intimate form of father. And, at least in Mark's Gospel, it's how Jesus addressed God, and by doing that he expressed the intimacy of the relationship that he felt with God. It's meaningful to me that Paul - in both this verse in Romans and also in Galatians 4:6 tells us that we can also use that intimate term to talk to God. In fact, since it's the Holy Spirit who moves us to call God "Abba," then we could say that our faith almost demands an intimate relationship between us and God, whether we use the word "Abba" in prayer or not. After all, if God was "Abba" to Jesus, and we who follow Jesus today are the body of Christ, then why wouldn't we speak and think of God in those very same terms? Sometimes we lose sight of the intimacy we should have with God. We fall into a trap of thinking that God is distant or even absent. It happens to all of us. When it happens to me, I find myself drawn back to the word "Abba." This is what God is to me - and to all of us who follow Jesus. God is our "Abba." We need to claim and to nurture the quality of relationship with God that the word "Abba" implies. Have a great week!