THE COMPULSION TO BELONG

Friday, June 14, 2013

 

John MKJV 10:27-30 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 28 And I give to them eternal life, and they shall never ever perish, and not anyone shall pluck them out of My hand. 29 My Father who gave them to me is greater than all, and no one is able to pluck them out of My Father's hand. 30 I and the Father are one!

Ephesians 4:1-6 I [Paul] therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beseech you that you walk worthy of the calling with which you are called, 2 with all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, even as you are called in one hope of your calling, 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in you all.

   The desire to belong is fundamental to man and has not diminished one iota over time.

  God said it is not good that for man to be alone. (Gen.2:18) Then Adam and Eve made for loneliness and man has been attempting compensation ever since, joining self to one Spiritless entity or another.

  Except that we agree with our Creator’s absolute competence we can expect naught but false spiritual semblance of belonging, ultimately an futile exercise in frustration due to temporality and limitations of every group and being but Triune God. (Rom.1:20)

  People work hard at belonging, even to the point of wretchedness in joining and clinging to unwholesome and destabilizing toxic social relationships. One of the saddest situations is persons paying dearly to be accepted when they receive nothing but rejection, criticism, wretched comparisons, demeaning teasing, and such ugliness as return on their investment.  

  I’m not saying to sever social fellowship with family, friend, acquaintance, or passerby. God blesses with and in relationships, but they too must be kept in proper perspective. (Lk.14:26; Jn.21:15)

  I am saying shift your fellowship focus to The One who loves you above all others. (Mt.6:22-23)

  I am not waiting but am trusting God for fellowship here and now; Christ’ death, burial, and resurrection redeeming to the uttermost; knowing that I absolutely belong to Him I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height or depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate me from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord; being bought with a price I am to glorify God in my body and spirit, which are God's. (Rom.8:38-39; 1Cor.6:20)

  I know that I will not abide in confidant peace with Him if I heed the tempter’s idolatrous call (Gen.3:5 There is more to be had!) to belong in worldly association apart from my Shepherd’s voice. 

  How much better is the companionship of the One who saves? (Eph.2:13)  EBB4