Belonging

By Javan Shashaty

In the Disney movie Hercules, the hero of the story starts out as anything but a hero. Hercules is a weak and frail young boy who can’t seem to do anything right. He’s constantly getting in the way and making life worse for the people around him. In his signature song, “Go The Distance,” Hercules makes a very profound statement that I think most of us can relate to: “I would go most anywhere to find where I belong.” 

If we’re honest, we all feel like that deep down. Every one of us wants to find where we belong . . . the place where we fit, the place where we can be ourselves, the place we can call home. Through Jesus’ ministry, He had a way of making people feel like they belonged. As you read through the Gospels, you see that Jesus especially attracted the outcasts and rejects of His day (lepers, Gentiles, tax collectors, even women who were looked down upon). Why do you think that is? Maybe because for the first time in their lives, they found the One who made them feel like they belonged. We all need this. We all need a place where we fit, where we can be ourselves, where we belong.

In Acts, 2 Luke tells us that the Church carried on the legacy of Jesus and became the place where people belonged. In fact, the greatest witness of the early church was how they treated those who were outcasts in society. Have you ever felt like an outcast? Have you ever felt rejected? Have you ever felt like you just can’t find the place where you belong? I have good news for you. The place you’re looking for is actually a Person. His name is Jesus Christ! And guess what? He has given us His Church to carry on His legacy as a place where rejected people are accepted, broken people are loved, and lost people are found. Jesus is inviting you into belonging. Welcome home. 

Take a moment and think about someone in your life who may be feeling cast out and rejected. At some point this week, go out of your way to love them as Jesus would so they may know that everyone can belong in the family of God!