You Were Formed for God’s Family

by Rick Warren — September 12, 2022
From Live Your Calling: What on Earth Am I Here For?

“God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. And this gave him great pleasure."

Ephesians 1:5 (NLT)

The whole reason the universe exists is because God wanted a family. He wanted children. He didn’t need us, but he wanted us so he could show his love.

Our planet sits on an axis. If that axis shifted one degree the wrong way, we’d burn up. If it shifted one degree the other way, we’d freeze. Our planet is at the perfect angle to sustain life.

You are so valuable to God that he placed the Earth in just the right spot to sustain your life. He thought you up before he thought up the universe. You were the focus of his love.

The Bible says this in Ephesians 1:5: “God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. And this gave him great pleasure” (NLT).

God wanted a family and wanted you to be a part of it. God never meant for you to go through life alone.

The first thing God told Adam was, “It is not good for man to be alone” (Genesis 2:18 NLV). Whether you marry or not is irrelevant to this issue. You’re made to be in a spiritual family that God created to take care of you—so you’re not alone.

Being a part of God’s family is not automatic. It’s a choice. You need to choose to be in God’s family. Everyone is created by God. Everyone is loved by God. But he gives you the choice of whether you’ll be in his family.

What is God’s family?

The Bible says, “That family is the church of the living God, the support and foundation of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15 NCV).

God’s family is the church. We are children of God, which makes us brothers and sisters in the family of God.

God created you to belong to his family. God doesn’t want you just to believe; he wants you to belong. A Christian without a church family is an orphan.

God wants you to learn to love real people with all their quirks, faults, and flaws. That’s why you’re on this planet and not in heaven. You need to learn to love, even when it’s difficult.

Are you connected to a church family? If not, what is holding you back?

Talk It Over

  • How does it make you feel to know that God made you to be part of his family?
  • Sometimes family relationships can be tough. What lessons have you learned through difficult relationships with other Christians?
  • What keeps you from having an even closer relationship with your church family?

Will you choose to be part of God’s family?

The Bible says you can only join God in heaven by trusting in his Son, Jesus Christ. You cannot earn your way into heaven: “It is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV).

If you’re ready to confess your sins and to trust Jesus with your life, start with this prayer:

“Dear God, you have promised that if I believe in Jesus, everything I’ve ever done wrong will be forgiven, I will learn the purpose of my life, and you will accept me into your eternal home in heaven one day.

“I confess my sin, and I submit to Jesus as my Savior and Lord. Jesus, I want to follow you and serve you. I humbly commit my life to you and ask you to save me and accept me into your family. In your name I pray. Amen.”

If you just prayed to accept Jesus, please email me at [email protected] and let me know about it. I’d like to send you some free materials to help you start your journey with Jesus.


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