Transcript:
Hello, welcome to Walking in Step with God, I’m Steve McDonald
Today we kick off the last message in our series, The Grand Narrative. It has been a great series as we learn about how we show up in the world and how we all are part of God’s master plan. In the previous message, we talked about what it means to find our place in our communities, our workplaces, and in society overall, learning that God has a specific role for each and every one of us.
In previous messages of this series, we learned how God incorporates favor into His plans to help us know He is always near as we carry out our purpose. We even discussed the idea that God is always ready for us regardless of our past. We do not need to clean ourselves up. We need not be afraid that what we have done in the past will keep us separated from Him. God is ready to embrace us lovingly with open arms, regardless of our past.
In today’s message, the final one of the series, we are going to talk about what it means to embrace a deeper belonging with God. Our world is one where we are told what to listen to, what to wear, what is hot and what is not, what to drive, and where to live, all just to fit in and be accepted by our society and culture. What’s on -your- mind about fitting in?
With God, it is very different. God sees all of us as His beloved children, and He truly wants a joy-filled life for all of us. He provides a framework so that we can all experience a sense of belonging and an intimate relationship with Him. God wants us to know that there are no prerequisites to be loved by Him, that we all can play a role, and that we can truly have a feeling of deep belonging in His grand narrative.
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Welcome back. Let’s continue in our discussion ways to cultivate a sense of deep belonging with God
Pray
The first area I’d like to talk to you about when it comes to a sense of deep belonging with God is to pray.
All good relationships have a foundation of good communication, and communication in a relationship with God is no different. While God does know our hearts, our minds, and our thoughts already, it is super important to understand that when we are intentional in communicating with God, it can foster a closeness and intimacy with Him that can truly change your life.
Prayer does not have to be, and should not be, a ritual or a task. It is you deciding that you will communicate with God. Prayer can take place at any time and in any place. The more often you pray, the closer you will feel His presence. No differently than someone you talk to once a day versus once a month, you are naturally going to feel more engaged with the person you speak to more frequently. God truly wants an intimate relationship with you, and when we show Him we want that in return, we will notice His presence more and more each day.
In my walk of faith, I used to pray infrequently. In fact, I would only pray when I needed something. Now, I feel truly close to God because I pray at the start and end of my day, as well as many times throughout the day. I’m not saying this to boast; I’m saying this to explain that I have a sincere desire to connect with Him throughout my day. I have a desire to start my day in prayer, and I have a desire to end my day in prayer. I believe, in response to that, He allows me to feel His presence in a way that differs from if I rarely reached out to Him.
I encourage you to make prayer a regular part of your life so that engaging God becomes a regular occurrence for you. You can speak to God in your mind, you can speak to God out loud, and you can speak to God at any time and in any place. God will hear you. Let prayer be your foundation for communication with God as you seek out a sense of deeper belonging.
Walk in Faith
The next area to pursue as we cultivate a sense of belonging with God is to walk in faith. This covers many areas, but today I’d like to focus on what it means to truly lean into our relationship with God.
First is surrendering to Him. When you’re dealing with a difficult time or struggling in some way, walking in faith means trusting God with your circumstances and resisting the urge to meddle and control things after you’ve asked Him to take over.
Walking in faith also means finding a community where you can serve and use your God-given gifts to give back to others. Giving back could utilize your skills and knowledge, or it could mean providing support and fellowship to others in need. Perhaps you donate your time or your resources. In all of these ways, it is important to find a community where you can truly feel like you belong.
The last concept of walking in faith I want to touch on is how you walk in the world. There are many things man has created to bring pleasure in our world that do not honor God. Walking in faith means not participating in or behaving the way the world does, but behaving in ways that honor God: showing love, compassion, patience, and understanding, and taking the high road when it comes to confrontation. Walking in faith is being in the world but not of the world, truly being intentional about living a lifestyle that honors God, even if it is inconvenient or difficult at times.
You see, God will honor -you- as you make an effort to walk in a way that honors -Him-. Walking in faith plays a crucial role in feeling a true sense of belonging with God.
Let Your Light Shine
The last area I would like to share today for feeling a sense of belonging is letting your light shine.
We just talked about showing up in the world in a way that honors God. This opens the door to embracing the fact that when we give our lives to God and when we decide to serve Him and lean into an intimate relationship with Him, we can carry His light within us as we go about our day.
When I say letting your light shine, I mean letting others observe your presence in the world and see that you do not just go with the flow because it is the easy thing to do. Letting your light shine means going right when those in the world would have you go left. Please understand me: I am not suggesting you be arrogant or boastful, but I am suggesting that you allow people to see what it means to honor God.
When people see how you make your choices, especially people who are not in a relationship with God, you may spark a curiosity in them that will lead them to their own walk with God. When they see how you show up for the world and observe how you have favor and influence in uncommon ways, it sparks a curiosity in them to seek out what you have and the lifestyle that you live.
Let God’s light in you shine, and do not keep it all to yourself. Allow people to witness your choices, actions, and personality, which can all be shaped by our relationship with God. When we decide to shine our light, it can truly be a path to a great sense of belonging.
Wrap Up
In today’s message, we explored what it means to embrace a deeper belonging with God, and learned how important it is to pray. All relationships take communication. God is always available and always near; however, we will naturally feel closer to Him if we decide to communicate with Him. God will hear our prayers at any time and any place. We can speak to God about anything, and nothing is off the table. When we truly embrace prayer as part of our walk with God, we can know that we are part of a community, part of something much bigger than us, among the billions of God’s children.
We also discussed the idea of walking in faith and giving back to our communities. We all have gifts and specialized skills, and we can walk in faith by sharing those skills with people who need them, serving God in the process. We can also walk in faith by trusting that God hears our prayers and trusting Him to help us navigate through difficult times. Walking in faith means resisting the urge to control everything, understanding that when we hand our circumstances over to God, our lives are in the best hands possible. We need to recognize that we only know a fraction of what God knows, so it is wise to yield to His will and His plans.
Lastly, we talked about how when we embrace God and seek an intimate relationship with Him, we walk with His light within us. Having God’s light inside gives us the opportunity to show others how to live a life that honors Him. Man has made many pleasurable things for the world that do not honor God, but shining your light means showing others the importance of things like compassion, forgiveness, understanding, cooperation, taking the high road, and giving.
When we shine our light openly in this way, it can spark curiosity in others about what it means to live like this. Your actions may very well be the catalyst that brings someone you have never met before God for the very first time. When God’s light is bright within you, it is not meant to be holed up and kept all to yourself: it is meant to be shared with others.
When we bring these things together, we can truly live a life where we have a true sense of belonging: belonging to a community of believers that are eager to serve God and spread God’s light and love throughout the world.
Are you interested in discovering more about the guidance offered in this message? Learn more in the companion article Going Deeper with the Word:Embrace a Deeper Belonging
