Mundane Monday: A Sense of Belonging - Denise Pass

Jeremiah 15:16

“As your words came to me I drank them in, and they filled my heart with joy and happiness because I belong to you.”

1 John 4:4

^{4 “}But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.”

Ever feel out of sorts, like you don’t quite fit in?  Pretty sure we all have felt like that from time to time. Some of those feelings are imagined, and sometimes groups can be exclusive, but with God all are welcome.

Acceptance and rejections await every person in any group.  This yearning that we have to be accepted can lead to idolatry and vanity, but it can also lead us to the real source where we belong – close to God.

Quiet and shy as a kid, I often wished I had the outgoing personality of those who were always popular. But that is not how God made me.  Moving from school to school, I learned to accept others without judgment, but learning to adapt to all of these different groups and places was not as easy, and sometimes the new culture did not readily accept me, either.

When I look back at all the futile moments of time wasted searching for acceptance from man, resulting in anxiety and feelings of rejection, I wish I had the wisdom and peace that I have now.  Funny thing is, over time we receive a gift of learning to be happy in our own skin.  Sure, we can still worry about people liking us or not, but what used to bother us does not have the same affect anymore as it once did.

If you are not yet there, do not despair.  The One living in us is able to help us overcome our fear of man and convince our souls that we do in fact belong – to the King of kings and Lord of lords.  Sure, some might be saying it would sure be nice to fit in down here on earth, but God holds a neat promise there, too.  If we will seek to love people and be faithful, He will grant us favor with Himself and man, too (Proverbs 3:3-4).

If you have’t yet decided to risk joining the group called Christianity, can I just tell you that you will not be rejected if you come honestly before God and ask him to save you.  He is able to open your eyes and heart to understand and to save you.  You, too, can hear the words, “You belong”.  If you already belong to Jesus, no doubt the enemy has tried to rock that faith.  God is able to heal your heart, too.  Come to Him.  I am praying for you now.  Ultimately, belonging to Jesus is the most satisfying relationship we could ever want, and, unlike temporary popularity, it lasts forever.

Lord, thank You for accepting us despite our shortcomings and failures.  When we are tempted to yearn for belonging in this world, God, please convince our souls that we were not made for this world, but for You and Your pleasure.