Are you striving to create your own self worth like bringing a Report Card to God, trying to prove yourself worthy of His love? Or are you resting in the finished work of Jesus and receiving the love God already has for you in Christ? Are you striving or resting in your identity as a son or daughter of God? Some are motivated by hard work in trying to prove they’re worthy of being loved, but Jesus already demonstrated God’s love and acceptance for you. Receive God’s love and allow that love to be your motivation which propels your ministry to others.
What does it feel like to feel like an orphan? God has a specific heart for the widows and orphans all throughout Scripture. I want to encourage you to understand your belonging in Christ is a reality. If you are in Jesus, you have an adopted identity as a Son or Daughter of God. You may encounter thoughts of rejection, but God’s truth and Jesus’ finished work is greater. In Jesus you are already a member of the Church and belong in the Church – it’s not something you earn or strive toward, but something God has declared. Let this word – BELONGING – transform your relationships and your life.
There are times when keeping the peace goes beyond just peaceable living, and becomes a state of living dishonestly with yourself and others. People pleasing often arises from what Scripture refers to as, “the fear of man.” Fear of man is when you are living a life where you become more concerned about satisfying the opinion of others than resting in God’s opinion of you. God has called us to put Him first. This means above all people, kings, and powers, we fear and revere God the most. When you fear others and their opinions over God, it can become idolatry and an obstacle in your obedience to God and your walk with Jesus.
The degree in which we can be the effective leaders God created us to be is dependent upon the degree in which we are followers of Christ. We are not just “tasked” by God, but we are co-laborers together with God. We must abide in the Vine in order to produce fruit. We can’t produce fruit ourselves.
Isolation is a place we build for our own self-protection, but it can become our own prison. God is calling men to find strength in Him through our prayer closet. Don’t give up on the Church, as much as it has hurt you, ask God to lead you to those who will lift you up and help you. It’s OK to be weak, that is when God strengthens us.