Belonging to God's Family
Scripture Reading — Ephesians 2:19-22
You are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people …
Ephesians 2:19
The need to belong and to be at home in a community is important for all of us. Not to belong to a community is to experience loneliness. A person may have many acquaintances and be involved in a number of organizations, but that’s not the same thing as knowing the feeling of belonging.
Paul assured the early Christians in Ephesus that being “in Christ” through faith also made them part of the community of God’s people and God’s household.
The same is true for us today. Today God’s household is called the church, the family of God. Every one of us who is a follower of Jesus needs to find a home in the church with other believers in Christ.
That’s not always easy. There may have been times—or even right now—when you have felt like a foreigner or a stranger. Perhaps the church you are now familiar with has not been as welcoming as you would have liked. You may even be tempted to give up on it. But a place in God’s household is God’s gift to you. Being part of a church family is a crucial part of your discipleship.
Even as we find our place in God’s family, we likewise need to be agents of welcoming others. The benefit of belonging to a household is a two-way street. Not only are we ourselves blessed, but we are called to be the instrument in God’s hand to welcome others.
Father in heaven, thank you for welcoming us into the household of faith. Thank you also for the good news of Jesus that makes this possible. In Christ’s name we pray. Amen.
About the author — Peter Borgdorff
Dr. Peter Borgdorff has been a pastor and administrator in the Christian Reformed Church for 40 years, most recently serving as executive director till his retirement in 2006. He and his wife, Janet, have five children and 14 grandchildren.
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