A Place to Belong
I love sharing picture books with all of our grandchildren. I recently pulled out our little (4¼” x 5¼”) Merrigold Miniature paperbacks with their printed price of 19¢ each. I’m not even sure I paid that much when I bought them back in the 1980s. I had forgotten how delightful they are.
One of our Merrigold Miniatures is The Belonging Book. Mabel Watts’ text and Jack and Louise Myers’ cute illustrations teach children where different animals and objects belong. On page after page, children learn what belongs on a farm and at the seashore and in the zoo. At the end of the book, Watts tells the children that they belong in a family. She concludes that belonging is the nicest thing in the world.
I think she’s right. In Acts 27:23, the apostle Paul mentions “the God to whom I belong.” He reminded the Corinthians:
“You belong to Christ; and Christ belongs to God.”
1 Corinthians 3:23
God knows how much we want to belong. He invites us to belong to Him.
The powerful desire to belong is similar to many of our desires. God means it for good. Satan uses it to destroy. When children don’t feel a deep sense of belonging to their mama and daddy, to their family, to a body of believers, and to God, they often look for belonging in the wrong places, places that can destroy them.
Wise parents realize their children’s need to belong. They engulf their children in a sense of belonging: belonging to their parents and belonging in their family. They train not only their children’s minds, but also their hearts and souls. They work to instill character that goes deep into their children’s hearts. They share the gospel with their children so their children can choose to belong to God and be an active part of the body of Christ. They provide their children with safe opportunities to connect with others who will be a good influence on them.
Instead of expecting their children merely to obey rules, wise parents encourage hearts that bear the fruit of the Spirit.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
Now those who belong to Christ Jesus
have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
Galatians 5:22-24