Many of us have feelings of guilt, inadequacy, being unwanted, lost, alone, helplessness, or hopelessness. These are all lies from the devil. But that’s where he wants us and if we stay in that mindset, we are easy pickings. Our light will become very dim, and we’ll be drawn into darkness. We don’t belong here and we need to find residence somewhere else. It states in Romans 8:1: “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Guilt should not even enter our minds if we believe in and have turned it over to the One who gave it all up on the cross. And that He did it because He loves us that much. The possibility of having a relationship with Him is real, if we would only believe. The Bible tells us in Acts 16:31 that if we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, we will be saved. That’s where we belong; that’s where we are wanted.
One Easter Sunday, I read a devotional from Rick Warren that said, “Doubts are meant to be doubted, and beliefs are meant to be believed.” He confirmed and supported this using Mark 9:23-24, which says, “One day, a man came to Jesus to heal his son from a spirit throwing him into water and fire trying to kill him. Jesus said to him, “Anything is possible if a person believes”. The man’s answer was honest and authentic: “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”’ There should be no guilt, and our beliefs should overcome our doubts. So let us follow 1 John 1:9: and confess our sins, for He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all our unrighteousness. We belong here, and there is a family to support us.
Family and fellowship is a wonderful thing. As people gather at their church, I pray love abounds. The feeling of a good hug from another brother or sister in Christ gives me great joy. I can tell a lot about people by the way they hug. I bet Jesus can too. Romans 15:7 states, “Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.” I cannot think of a better welcome strategy than a great big, good, caring and loving hug. We feel more wanted, more loved, and more hopeful if we feel included, and are valued. The Bibles states we are all one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28). It is so comforting to feel and know, we belong here.
Our new confidence should also give us joy. To know all is well with heart, mind, and soul, oh God thank you! We are reminded in Psalm 23:1, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want” (NIV). Our God provides, protects, restores, and more. We must trust in Him and be obedient to what He created us to do; to reflect His image, to have a relationship with Him, and to bring Him glory. Then as His brother James says in James 1:4: “Let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.” We do this by following His word. None of us should feel or act greater than anyone else. Romans 12:3 reads, “For I am saying to each of you, do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourselves with sober judgment.” That’s good ole humility, and I belong here.
Today and every day, let us stay humble and truthful with ourselves. Let us love one another as Christ loves us. As written in Ephesians 2:10, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” There is a lot of work to do in the church, and even more in the world. The harvest is plentiful… We can overcome the devil’s lies if we are involved, doing work the Lord called us to. We will feel purpose and value, counteracting feelings of worthlessness and hopelessness. I don’t know about you, but I belong here, and I plan to stay.
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