Longing to BelongSample

Do you have any idea how much God loves you? If you’ve memorized only one Bible verse, you probably learned John 3:16. God loves you so much that he gave his one and only Son to die for you so that you could live with him eternally. Do you believe someone could love you enough to sacrifice his life for you? I cannot sufficiently stress the significance of knowing God loves you. If you think for one second that you are not loved, you are believing a lie. Jesus laid down his life for you. In other words, you are worth dying for.

You’ve got to know the truth to believe and speak it. Before we jump into Psalm 139 and learn the manifesto, you must know this truth: You Are Loved. God didn’t send Jesus from heaven to earth to condemn you. He sent Jesus to prove that you are completely and unconditionally loved. If you feel unloved or unwanted, you are believing a lie.

For too long I thought I had to fit in to belong, but belonging isn’t the same as fitting in. Trying to fit in where we don’t belong inevitably magnifies our longing. When the world shuts me out, I find comfort knowing I don’t belong to the world. Instead, I belong to the one who created it. 

Experiencing the lasting joy of acceptance in spite of shifting opinions about your worth depends on knowing your life is secure in Christ. Trust that you belong to the one who loves you enough to lay down his life for you, and then ask the Father to lead you to a place where you fit in. Believe and speak the truth of your great worth. Your tongue has power. Use it for good.

Declare this truth:

I am worth dying for.

Pray this aloud:

Dear God, I pray that from your glorious, unlimited resources, you will empower me with inner strength through your Spirit so that Christ will make his home in my heart as I trust in him. Empower me to understand how wide, how long, how high, and how deep your love is. Help me experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then I will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from you. Amen. (Prayer adapted from Ephesians 3:16–19 NLT)