December 5, 2019
I Want A Place to Belong
Sharon Jaynes
Today’s Truth
“Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God (John 1:12-13 NIV).
Friend to Friend
Advertisers are well aware of the need human beings have to belong. They are banking on it. How many times have my eyes filled with tears over a television commercial? A credit card commercial shows a grown daughter taking her elderly mother back to Italy to discover her roots. The cost? Priceless. (I cry.)
A horse-drawn carriage glides through the snow on its way to a cozy cottage nestled in the trees with smoke swirling in the sky. “Home for the holidays.” (I cry).
A young man dressed in a military uniform drops his duffle bag on his unknowing parent’s den floor in the wee hours of the morning and starts the coffee maker. His mother, smelling the aroma, hurries down the stairs and clutches her heart as tears stream down her cheeks at the sight of her soldier home from war. (I cry.)
Am I the only one? Tell me you do it too!
The tears that form in my eyes prove that the advertisers have tapped into my need to belong. They would have us believe that if we buy their particular product, we will have that warm fuzzy feeling of euphoria or ecstatic joy.
But we know the truth. True joy will not be found on the grocery store shelf, the cars sales lot, or the department store window. It cannot be bought with the swipe of a credit card or cold hard cash. People want to feel they are a part of something bigger than themselves, and that there is more to this life than accumulating power or possession.
God tells us that when we come to Christ, we become part of His family. He gives each of us a place to belong.
- “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12).
- “The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’ children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ,if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory” (Romans 8:16,17 NIV).
- “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1 NIV).
We have lots of brothers and sisters in Christ. Not only that, we have Girlfriends in God who love each other, care for each other, and sometimes correct each other. I’m so glad that God has given us a place to belong. Aren’t you?
Let’s Pray
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for bringing me into Your family. I am so thankful that I belong to You. Today, help me to find comfort in the fact that no matter who rejects me or excludes me, You will always love me and accept me just the way I am.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
Now It’s Your Turn
Have you ever teared-up at a TV commercial? If so, which one?
What about the commercial touched your heart?
Have you ever teared-up over a Bible passage? If so, which one?
John 17:20-26 is one passage that always touches my heart. Just to think that Jesus was praying for me on the day before He went to the cross makes my heart swell. Read those words in your own Bible and remember that Jesus is praying for you, even today.
More from the Girlfriends
Do the voices in your head tell you that you are not good enough, smart enough, pretty enough, or just not enough, period? If so, it’s time to stop listening to the lies that sabotage your confidence and start embracing the truth of your true identity in Christ. It’s time to overcome the lies of the enemy with the promises of God. This book will show you how.
Also available, just in time for Christmas, is the Enough bracelet to remind you that you are More than Enough every time you wear it!
Seeking God?
GirlfriendsInGod.com
Originally published Thursday, 05 December 2019.
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