"The story is told of a boy who was leaving home for college. His father had included him in the morning prayer at the breakfast table, asking God to protect him and to grant him success in the career which he was undertaking. Rising from the table, the young man expected to receive some final bit of advice and instruction from his father. But he was surprised when, after a moment’s silence, the older man merely placed his hand on his shoulder, looked at him kindly, and said: 'My boy, remember whose son you are!'” [i]
Remember whose child you are. Growing up this was a statement that I heard quite often. Any time I would leave the house for any extended period of time, whether on a camp trip, staying the night at friend’s house, and even when I too went off to college, my dad would say something almost identical, with one slight twist: Remember whose child you are, and who gets you first!
Being someone’s child means that you carry their name with you wherever you go. What you do, or do not do, can reflect either positively or negatively on the ones whose name you carry. In the instance with my dad, he was reminding me that as his child, if I did not act in a way that reflected positively on his name, he was the first in line to dole out whatever punishment fit the crime, so to speak; he would be the one to get me first.
He was also reminding me that not only was I, am I, his child and represent his name, I am also a child of God and represent the name of God. 1 John 3:1 says, “See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are.” [ii] As children of God we should act in a way that reflects positively on who we are as Christians; ones who bear the name of Christ. The author of 1 John goes on to explain this by saying, “For this is the message you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods, and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses to help? Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action.” [iii] Remember whose child you are.
Not only does remembering whose children we are through our actions reflect on the one whose name we bear but remembering whose child we are can also be a source of strength, hope, and joy. When we are out in the big scary world, remembering whose child we are can bring us peace and joy knowing that we are not out there alone, but are surrounded by the love that God has for us as His children. Again, the author of 1 John writes, “Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him.” [iv] The world we live in can be a scary place. It seems every other day, if not every day we hear of shootings, assaults, rapes, and the list goes on and on. Remembering whose children we are can’t make all those things stop happening, but it can make it easier to face this world we live in knowing that we are surrounded by the love of God, and that no matter what, God is with us.
Remember whose child you are; act in truth and love and find peace in the love that God has for you and all people.
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[i] Herman W. Gockel, “Remember Whose Child You Are,” in My Hand in His: Ancient Truths in Modern Parable (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 1961), 30.
[ii] NRSV
[iii] 1 John 3:11, 17-18, NRSV
[iv] 1 John 4:7, 9, NRSV
