God's Invitation to Community
By: Heather Shoffstall
October is not just a month of fall activities, football games, and cooler temperatures, but its also the time of year when schedules are in full swing. Between sports, school, work, and other commitments life seems crazier than ever. The pressures and stresses never seem to end.
October is also a time when our college students are not only feeling the same stresses and pressures, but sometimes these feelings compound with loneliness. Even when peers surround them, they are homesick and feel the world’s pressures are theirs to tackle alone. This is one reason we do College Care Packages at this time of year. (dutilhchurch.org/students)
As adults, we too can have these overwhelming feelings. We can be in a room full of people and feel more alone than ever. We have more ways to connect with people than ever, but loneliness is still something we all regularly experience. How can we be so connected and surrounded by people and yet still feel alone?
What do we do when we feel this way? Who can we turn to that will help us with our feelings of being alone? At DSM on Wednesday night, we discussed when you feel alone and unwanted that God says you belong.
“The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. The righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all; he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken.” Psalm 34:17-20
God hears us when we call out to him for help. When we listen to messages telling us we don’t belong, can’t be helped, and there isn’t a place for us, we can cry out to God for help. God says, “I got this. I’m creating a space for you to belong with me and those who follow me.” This Psalm shows us that God’s got this and that the crushing ache of not belonging doesn’t slip by God’s notice. God sees that, too.
But how do we find belonging in a world that is passing us by at the speed of light? We find our identity in Jesus and our belonging in a community that follows him. All you must do is say “yes” to a relationship with Jesus. Here are a few ways to experience belonging this week:
WHAT JESUS SAYS ABOUT YOU – When we say yes to Jesus he changes our story. This week trust that who Jesus says you are, not what you’ve done or who you were before, matters most.
LOOK FOR A FRIEND – When we step into that belonging God created for us, we realize that God invited others to belong, too. This week pursue friendships with people who remind you that you belong and be open to expanding your friendships to make space for more people to belong.
LOOK OUT FOR OTHERS – This week, pay attention to the people around you who may be experiencing similar feelings of loneliness. Create a space for them to belong.
God wants you to experience community and to know you are loved, valued, and wanted. God has been welcoming people and creating belonging for thousands of years and is not stopping now. We’re offered a restart, which means when you feel unwanted, God says you belong.