Adoption: Living Upside Down

Jeremy Haskins:

As citizens of the Kingdom of Christ we are called to mirror the King of the Universe. Jesus has flipped the wisdom of the world by willfully choosing to be born to a teenage girl and adopted by a carpenter from Nazareth. Jesus, the One who had no place to lay His head, was abandoned to die as a criminal outside Jerusalem on a trash heap. Holy God became a man to die for His sinful enemies. None of it makes sense!

According to the wisdom of this world, it’s backward and upside down. But it’s this sort of logic that saves the world. It’s just the thing that will eventually turn the whole world upside down or from God’s perspective right side up again.

So if it means for a time flipping our home, lives, and family upside down so that these two precious boys might one day enjoy the goodness of family according to God’s design, count us in!

While our hearts may be willing, our flesh is weak. As we move forward, we need to be more and more convinced that living upside down is a path to greater joy. And that this path is worth walking against the grain, fighting the status quo, and killing the soul shrinking mediocrity that threatens our lives every day. After all, we are called to follow one who suffered for the joy that was set before Him. To follow in His way we must trust the Spirit of adoption who continually reminds us that God really is at work and will finally make all this right again. Spiritual orphans who believe in Jesus will know the joy of having brothers who overcome sin and death. Abandoned sinners will know an eternal family.

Maybe God is calling you to do something radical for Jesus. For us it is adoption. It may be the same for you. It may mean giving more so others can adopt. It may be becoming a committed advocate for orphans and orphan care around the world. It may mean something all together different for you and your family. However, for all Christ-followers the gravity of the gospel is pulling you to live upside down in some way that turns the wisdom of the world on its head. May it be said of us this year and for eternity, these are they who turned the world upside down.

Read the rest of this powerful post.