American Missionary Fellowship

One of the things I’ve had to get used to at American Missionary Fellowship is the amount of time I’m away from home, which I spend on the road with different people, meeting new people, observing ministry, preaching and teaching, and doing all kinds of good things. I am often away from the places and people I know best, and I have been thinking about the four places I believe are essential for all of us to feel a sense of belonging, a sense that we are accepted for who we are, with our faults, our concerns, and our strengths. These four areas are what I believe give us wholeness.

The first area is our home. I love where I live, but where I live is not important. It’s who I live with that’s the most important thing. This weekend our daughter came home from college for the first time. She talked our ears off about all the great things she is doing in school, and I sense that she was feeling accepted. I just sat there with my arms crossed, listening to her talk, thinking, I’m so glad that we belong together. There’s a sense of wholeness at home.

The second place is in our church. Two years ago, RobAnne and I helped found a little church in Beaumont, California called Sanctuary. We’re moving next Sunday to a bigger facility, and so we kind of celebrated that we’ve outgrown our present meeting place. We were reminded once again that the church is not a building; it’s not a place where we meet. It’s the people, the body of Christ that gets together, and it’s where we have a sense of oneness, of belonging, of centering in our God. We need to belong in a church.

Third, we need some buddies, some fellow Christians who are trying to live the kingdom life, doing their best to be all that God has called them to be through His Spirit. Among these friends we can struggle together, be honest with each other, and listen to each other even when we’re not perfect. We need that sense of belonging despite our sinfulness and our brokenness – we need a place where we can be who we really are.

Fourth, we need that sense of belonging to our God, a sense where His love and concern and presence are part of our lives. In that presence, in that awareness of his activity in our life, we find our true being. We meet our Creator, and we have a sense of belonging.