WEDNESDAY

Romans 8:14-15; Galatians 4:6-7

There is something to be said about respect and formality. It is often a way that we honor a person, the role they play, and the contributions they make in our lives. Children are often taught to address people properly, and in various ways (which may vary depending on the culture you are in), we learn to honor parents and speak respectfully to those in positions of authority. Mutual respect is also a good thing to learn (as genuinely good authorities know and practice). And of course, in a fallen world, all this can sometimes take on a life of its own in ways that any other good thing can be distorted, as we observe too often. (In fact, we might even say that one of the central issues in the Great Controversy is whether or not authority is best grounded in power or in love.) With all of that in mind, today’s passage might land in a way that can leave us feeling a bit shocked, and perhaps even a bit delighted at the same time. If you have not done so already, take a few moments to read the passages for today and listen to the way Paul tells us that the Spirit leads us to address God. Not only do these passages continue to echo the theme we have been thinking about all week—that we are the children of God—but they also tell us that the Spirit leads us to address God in a certain way: Abba. The Aramaic word that is best translated for us as “daddy.” Without diminishing respect and honor in any way, this word carries with it the intimate, carefree, and playful assurance and delight of a child playing on the floor with their daddy. It is an interaction in which vulnerability is not risky, and in which delight, laughter, and playfulness are not only tolerated but embraced. This is the imagery that Scripture uses to describe the kind of relationship with God that the Spirit leads us into. As you reflect on this, consider the following:

• To what extent are you comfortable with, or does your relationship with God embody, the elements reflected in this passage?

• Do you think God sees play as a waste of time? Why or why not?

• Often in our culture, laughter is indulged in at the expense of someone else. To what extent do you experience laughter that is simply born out of delight? Is that something that you sense God enjoys along with you?

• When you think about your relationship with God, and even the language you use when you pray, does it reflect more of someone who is employed to do a job, or someone who is a child who is part of a family? Why do you think you experience it the way you do?

• If we experience our relationship with God more in terms of being a loved child than a trusted employee, how would that shape the way we interact with and nurture the growth of our own children (or those children entrusted in our care)?

• What speaks to you the most powerfully as you reflect on these passages for today?

Take a few moments to talk to God in prayer about what is on your heart.