Thinking Out Loud

“Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.” – Hebrews 11:16

This verse makes me wonder if God thinks the same way about me. Is God ever ashamed to be called my God? Would He ever refer to Himself as “The God of Jim?” Would he ever point to me, as he did to Job, and ask Satan, “Have you considered my servant, Jim?” (Part of me really hopes that conversation never takes place. I’m quite allergic to boils). Would God ever address other Christians and say, “I am not ashamed to be known as the God of Jim. He is a faithful man, and to his credit I declare him righteous”?

It gives me joy to know that I do not need to be perfect, faultless and without error or sin in order for God to find no shame in being my God. I need only believe in God and obey His word to one day hear Him pronounce, “I was not ashamed to say ‘I am the God of Jim.’”

Naturally, when I think this way it means I’m confident God knows my name. It means I am not forgotten, not abandoned, not just an adopted child hoping God will love me as much as He loves His natural children.

Still, I’ve also thought the opposite. You know, the old There must be better children out there who are more deserving of God’s love than I am kind of thinking. They’re the better behaved, more faithful, less sinfully inclined children who make their Parent proud. They are the ones who get good grades in school, have their artwork displayed in the cafeteria and always win the “Good Sportsman” award. The rest of us normal children always despised these standout children, but still wanted to be their friend and have them play for our team.

When I finally pull myself out of the pit of thinking I’m not the favorite child and remember God died for ALL of us, I smile when I remember He has prepared a place for us to be with Him for all eternity. God has invited us to live with Him in a “city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God” (Hebrews 11:10). I like that. We can look forward to a city (not a land or a country) with a foundation (not the tent pegs of a nomad) whose architect (from the Greek word technites, meaning craftsman, designer, city planner) and builder (one who does the actual work) is God.

However, to answer the question I started with, the God of Jim and (insert your name here) is not ashamed of us. He’s not comparing us to anyone else and takes pleasure in seeing us through the loving eyes of the Son.  And I believe this: one day He will point to Satan and say, “Have you considered these, whom I call my children and my friends? I have, and I prepared a city for them where I can be their God.” Won’t that be a wonderful day?