You belong…
Romans 8:26-30
26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.
27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.
30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
You have a seat at the table.
Do you really believe that? You belong. You have been called according to His purpose. You are known. You are being conformed to the image of His Son. You will be glorified with Him in heaven.
How do you view yourself? Sometimes that’s the root of our “stuckness”.
Sometimes life can feel like we never left middle school. We’re wondering where we fit. Is there anywhere we belong? Has God truly accepted us?
Meditating on these verses will encourage you that yes, you do belong. You have a purpose - His purpose.
God has created us uniquely with our own set of gifts and abilities. I read recently that God is so big that in order for humans to reflect His image, He had to put different aspects of Himself in different people. We are created in His image, but He had to sprinkle that image across everyone. So I have some aspects of God’s image and you have different aspects of it.
I’ve struggled with different aspects of who I am - feeling like some pieces of my personality aren’t as “acceptable” from a Christian standpoint. I’m a fairly ambitious person, for example. (Enneagram 3, if you’re familiar with that system.) I like to “do all the things”. I’m learning that yes, I can easily become self-sufficient and rely on my own strength instead of relying on God’s strength. However, there’s nothing wrong with having “holy ambition” (as opposed to selfish ambition) - a drive and passion to accomplish God’s purposes with His strength.
Being constantly frustrated which how we’re designed doesn’t help us become more like Jesus. We can accept our unique personalities, but surrender them to Jesus. Confess and turn from what is sin, but then embrace how God can use our uniqueness to bring glory to Him.
Journal: How do you see yourself? Do you value yourself and what you have to offer to God’s Kingdom? Or are you overly critical? How do you talk to yourself - that soundtrack that plays in your head as you go throughout your day? Would you talk to others the way you talk to yourself?
If you’d like to read other perspectives on these same verses, check out these blogs: