I am always fascinated by how people I know introduce me to other people. For example, will they say, “This is my pastor,” or “This is Matthew Harris,” or “This is my friend,” or “This is my dad?”

I listen to their words because it helps me understand how they view their relationship with me. Do they see me as a leader or a friend? Do they see me as just another person they know or someone who cares about them? Our relationship is defined by a label. 

This truth applies to our relationships on earth and the ones with God. Do you call him God or father? Is he Jesus or your Savior? Do you see yourself as a child of God or a person of faith? 

John, the Apostle, calls himself “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” (John 13:23; 19:26; 21:7, 20) That is perhaps one of the most beautiful pieces of scripture ever written. It communicates how John viewed himself. Jesus’ love for him defined his life. 

God, our father, sent his son because he loved the world. He loved you and me. When you get to heaven, God will introduce you to others as his beloved child. Will you allow those words to define you now?