City Life Starter

Written by Megan Meier

The Word

“But now, this is what the Lord says – he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: ‘Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.’”

Isaiah 43:1

“Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”

John 1:12

Reflection

Someone wrote a story of a little boy who painstakingly and lovingly made a little sailboat, but it got lost down the river during a windstorm. The little boy found his toy in a shop where he took all the pocket money he had and bought his beloved sloop back, referring to it as, “twice mine.” The author wrote this to help others understand our relationship with God; He made us and bought us back, that we are twice His.

After losing his sailboat, the little boy could have said, “forget it, I’ll make another one, better than the last” but he wanted his original one back, and was willing to give all he had for it. Same with Jesus; He didn’t give up on us and never will. We doubly have a place to belong, flaws and all.

In the book Five to Thrive by Kathy Koch, PhD, Belonging comes after Identity, we have to know who we are to know where we belong. We are God’s children, and therefore we belong to the family of God. Even the most independent person will admit they want a place to belong, a place to be themselves where they don’t have to “get into character” to be accepted and liked. God not only accepts us for who we are, but He encourages us to be ourselves! He made us and bought us back at a high price! We belong to the family of God! And God Almighty is our Abba!

Application

When was the last time you’ve felt like you didn’t fit in? Or felt you had to put on a different personality to be liked? God knows your thoughts and true self, after all He made you to be uniquely you. You are intensely loved by God Almighty, your Abba! And you are part of the family of God!

Prayer

Dear Abba, thank You for loving me, flaws and all. Thank You that I am twice Yours, created by You and redeemed by You. If anytime I feel like an outsider, remind me that I am Yours and belong to a great family. In Your name I pray, amen.