The big day has finally arrived. Excitement is in the air. The guests have been ushered in. The wedding party has taken their place on the platform. Everyone beams as the bride is escorted down the aisle. A Scripture is read, a prayer is spoken and the minister offers a few words of encouragement. Finally the announcement comes—“I now pronounce you husband and wife!”

Something significant has just happened. The two have become one flesh. They have the best of intentions, but understand little about what it means to be a husband or a wife. They will spend the rest of their lives together becoming what the preacher has said they already are!

This is sort of how it is when we accept Christ. God adopts us into his family and proclaims that we are his children. The problem is, we don’t know much about how a child of God is supposed to act.

Paul the apostle seems to say in his writings, “You have become sons and daughters of God. Now you need to start living like children of God!”

We have the rest of our lives to become what we already are. Reflect on that.

“Only let us live up to what we have already attained.”—Philippians 3:16.