Belonging takes sacrifice!
To belong to dance company means you are willing to sacrifice your time and energy to perform at certain times, even if you don’t want to.
To belong to the basketball team, you cannot be on the wrestling team (because they have the same sports season).
In the example with my girls (from yesterday)…
In order for my girls to FEEL like they belong, sometimes they have to “sacrifice” the thought…
“I don’t belong,” and put in the effort to show up.
Whatever lifestyle you choose, you sacrifice a different lifestyle.
When you choose certain friends, you may have to sacrifice a friendship with others.
And you’ll miss out on somethings that might look very enticing.
Either way you are making a sacrifice, which I hope is based on an eternal perspective verses what looks most enticing in the now.
I know we just want to feel like we belong without having to do any work (even mental/emotional work)…
But without OUR part, and OUR effort, no one can make us feel like we belong.
Are you willing to “start belonging” with Jesus Christ?
What sacrifice might you need to make to FEEL like you belong with Christ? (a habit, a strong negative emotion, a thought, a behavior, a more uplifting group of friends, more time in your scriptures, etc.) –I challenge you to find a simple sacrifice, an offering, you are willing to give in order to feel like you belong with Christ more.
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“Belonging comes not as we wait for it but as we reach out to help one another.” (GC, Oct. 2022, “The Doctrine of Belonging,” pg76)
As we reach out to help one another, somewhere we believe that we first belong and want them to belong also.
This can be a powerful way to help yourself and others choose to belong.
You do not need to feel like you belong perfectly before you can reach out,
As you continue to choose to belong, begin reaching out to others also.
Elder Gong has said, “Any sacrifice we make in the Lord’s cause helps to confirm our place with Him who gave His life a ransom for many.” (GC, Oct. 2022, “The Doctrine of Belonging,” pg76).
In other words, we confirm or acknowledge, to ourselves, that WE belong with Christ, by making sacrifices to bring His children back to Him.
We help others belong, because we have chosen to belong [even imperfectly] already.
And we’ll feel that confirmation of belonging as we help others feel that also.
We do this first through our choices, and then through our ministering efforts, inviting others to come to Christ and come and belong with us, and for caring for each other.
The Lord says to not be wearing in well doing… or… to keep “trying” because it’s will take effort and you might wrestle with it sometimes.
If you want to feel greater belonging… help other’s.
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“It is by keeping [our] covenants that we obtain the highest and deepest sense of belonging.”
Knowing that Christ will hold up His end of the relationship perfectly, our only excuse to NOT belong is because we choose not to…
But when we choose to belong with Christ…
Our covenant relationship becomes much closer, and we feel more and more bound together.
“Being one with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is without doubt the ultimate belonging.”
(“The Doctrine of Belonging,” Christofferson, Nov. 2022, pg 78)
As we feel that ultimate belonging we find we have easier access to His love, grace, and power.
We increase our faith in Him and are excited to repent more often.
We become redeemed from our fallen, natural man state…
And want to continue becoming more like Him.
As we become more like Him, we reach out and serve others, doing our part to participate in the building of Zion…
We turn from even our contentious thoughts and choose to be a peacemaker…
We heed the Lord’s call to gather to places of safety, and create places of refuge in our homes, wards, and communities.
Each of these things causes us to feel a deeper sense of belonging and beacons other to join us.
As we gather together, each choosing Christ daily, we feel a greater sense of belonging.
And the ultimate belonging is with Jesus Christ and those who choose to follow Him!
