- We as humans are hardwired to belong to something. We want to be a part of families, teams, friend groups and workplaces. It feels terrible to be around a group of people and not be included. Sometimes this desire to belong motivates us to change ourselves to “fit in”. Through our actions, dress, language or values, we subtly allow for others to guide our lives. We must come to terms that we are different from the world. We cannot belong to a world that has different values than we do. It is not a simple matter of not agreeing on a divisive topic. If we believe that God is God and Jesus has redeemed us, that is in direct conflict with the world. If we desire to be one with the world, we cannot be one with Christ. It is impossible to belong to both God and the world. Who am I serving? Is a desire to belong to the world impacting my relationship with God?
- “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” – 1 John 2:15
- If we are followers of Christ, we belong to Him. In the world, we constantly face the challenge of being good enough, trying hard enough, wearing the right clothes, driving the right cars, and living in the right school districts. When we are called by God into his family, all of these pressures no longer matter. We are no longer slaves to the world, but accepted, loved children of God. We can have peace. We are fully accepted because of the work of Jesus on the cross. We are his, and can rest in this knowledge and truth. No group of people can ever give us the sense of belonging that we have with the Father. How can I thank God for his acceptance of me? Do I belong to God?
- “But now in Christ Jesus, you who were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.” – Ephesians 2:13
- Our adoption into the family of God gives us access to a new kind of belonging. In the church, we find a group of people who share our spiritual heritage and unity with Christ. Like a reunion of shipwreck survivors, we remember our lives without Christ and come together to celebrate the glorious salvation we experienced. No other fraternity on earth can compare to this. We know that we are united with Christ and each other, looking forward to an eternity together, worshipping God and experiencing him. This is the foundation of the church. Beloved does not exist as a social experiment or political force, but as a home base to call rescued sinners home. The church is a place where every person who knows Christ can come and find rest, acceptance and brotherhood. What is the church? How does it differ from the clubs and groups in our culture? What can I do to build a place of unity and belonging?
- “So, then, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with the saints, and members of God’s household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone.” – Ephesians 2:19-20
For further study:
Read Acts 2:42-47. The cultural context may be different, but read about the early church and how they lived together. Ask yourself what we can do to grow in the way the first church did.
Prayer focus for the week:
Pray for those in our community who have left the church. Pray that God would call them home to his body for reconciliation and recovery.