A colleague returned to the US after several years teaching in Asia. This flight was not just for a visit but to stay, with no plan to return. About a month passed, and she wrote of what was new, who she’d seen, and who she’d missed. Then came a note that ended abruptly with “I don't belong. And you know what? I don’t think I’m supposed to.” 

Back in SE Asia, a colleague of mine was moved by what he had just read in scripture. He said, “Yes, this is powerful. I have seen others who believe and are changed. I want to follow what the God offers. But what family? Where, oh where, will I belong?” 

The first scenario is a believer wondering where she should belong. The second is a seeker wondering where he will belong. 

We work so hard in our new ‘homes’ to fit in. We study language, learn what to wear, observe what others do and say, ask questions–all with hopes of belonging in the new culture. 

We welcome (or are welcomed by) new co-workers. We strive to get acquainted and help each other become a group that fits together. Our sense of belonging can be short-lived as perhaps we soon say goodbye to teammates. Then, as best as we can, we start the process over again. 

It’s understandable. The world around us, from psychology books to TED Talks, points out that belonging is a basic human need. We don’t want to be alone. 

How do we meet this need? The creator of humans is clear. He is not silent. We belong to him. “You are mine” He says in Leviticus. We are chosen. He is the father to the fatherless. Though mother and father abandon us, he will receive us. When we believe in His name, we become children of God. We address him in prayer as ‘Father.’ No one can snatch us from His hand. We are His children. 

I John 3:1 “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God.” 

Still wondering? He has spoken. We are his.