A Place of Belonging
“According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.” Ephesians 1:4-6
Who doesn’t enjoy being liked? And like being loved? And want to be accepted? And to feel welcome? Who doesn’t appreciate a sense of belonging? Being validated is something humans desire, isn’t it? The problem is that some of us, particularly those of us who have experienced abuse, abandonment, and/or rejection, can so crave a sense of belonging that we are willing to sell out to just about anything – or anyone – that makes us feel like we belong. I should know. Countless times, I found myself with the wrong people, in the wrong places, doing the wrong thing, for the wrong reason. Sadly, I convinced myself it was all right – until God got a hold of my life and showed me what I was missing.
I had forgotten how desperately I sought that sense of love, acceptance, and belonging until a friend told me she joined an institution because – well, because. Something didn’t sound right about her decision, and I couldn’t put my finger on it until I looked into the institution and couldn’t find much information on it. Then it dawned on me. There was a chance she hadn’t joined because of what the institution represented and offered, but because she simply felt loved and accepted there. When God took hold of my life, and I no longer merely believed in Him intellectually, but committed my heart and life to Him and His ways, I discovered the pure, genuine, everlasting, love, acceptance, validation, peace, hope, and belonging I had always wanted. Until I made that discovery, I found myself jumping from one sinful situation to another. The bait was always the same. I wanted to feel wanted, and the devil kept tossing me the bait of, “here’s a place you can feel like you belong.” Today I belong. In Christ. In God’s Kingdom. For now – and forever. No better place to belong – than in Him. Pure love. Pure belonging. In the Lord.
Searching for love and belonging? Find your belonging in Him.