August 24, 2011
A Place to Belong
Sharon Jaynes
Today’s Truth
Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God (John 1:12, NIV).
Friend To Friend
Advertisers are well aware of the need human beings have to belong. They are banking on it. How many times have my eyes filled with tears over a television commercial? A credit card commercial shows a grown daughter taking her elderly mother back to Italy to discover her roots…”The cost? Priceless.” (I cry.) A horse-drawn carriage glides through the snow on its way to a cozy cottage nestled in the trees with smoke swirling in the sky…”Home for the holidays.” (I cry). A young man dressed in a military uniform drops his duffle bag on his unknowing parent’s den floor in the wee hours of the morning and starts the coffee maker. His mother, smelling the aroma, hurries down the stairs and clutches her heart as tears stream down her cheeks at the sight of her soldier home from war. (I cry.)
The tears that form in my eyes prove that the advertisers have tapped into my need to belong. They would have us believe that if we buy their particular product, we will have that warm fuzzy feeling of euphoria or ecstatic joy.
But we know the truth. True joy will not be found on the grocery store shelf, the cars sales lot, or the department store window. It cannot be bought with the swipe of a credit card or cold hard cash. People want to feel they are a part of something bigger than themselves and that there is more to this life than accumulating wealth and accomplishments.
God tells us that when we come to Christ, we become part of His family.
“Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12).
“The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’ children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs – heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:16, 17).
“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1).
We have lots of brothers and sisters. Not only that, we have girlfriends in God who love each other, care for each other, and sometimes correct each other. I’m so glad that God has given us a place to belong. Aren’t you?
Let’s Pray
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for bringing me into Your family. I am so thankful that I belong to You. Today, help me to find comfort in the fact that no matter who rejects me or excludes me, You will always love me and accept me just the way I am.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen
Now It’s Your Turn
Have you ever teared-up at a TV commercial? If so, which one?
What about the commercial touched your heart?
Have you ever teared-up over a Bible passage? If so, which one?
John 17:20-26 is one passage that always touches my heart. Just to think that Jesus was praying for me on the day before He went to the cross makes my heart swell. Read those words and remember that Jesus is praying for you, even today.
More From The Girlfriends
Because God is your Father, He has dreams for His little girl…you. To learn more about the incredible dreams that God has for you, see Dreams of a Woman: God’s Plans for Fulfilling Your Dreams by Sharon Jaynes. And hold on to your hats…He’s got great plans for your life!
Seeking God?
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Girlfriends in God
Matthews, NC 28106
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