Belongنموونە

Belonging Is Active

People are weird. They have political views, odd house rules, they parent, or don’t parent their kids in every which way. Some people even eat smelly food. There are so many reasons to avoid being part of what our church calls a LifeGroup, which is really just a group of friends who grow, laugh, and serve together.

The Apostle Paul wrote Romans 12 as a letter to new Christians who were meeting in homes trying to figure out how to follow Jesus together. They were everyone from long-time God-followers to people whose recent past would’ve represented nearly everything ungodly. In verses four and five, Paul basically said, “Listen, you’re different on purpose!”

In his letter to Corinth, Paul got more specific about the body of Christ. He wasn’t just saying our differences might fit together somehow—he was saying they’re the very reason we belong together. 

But that still doesn’t make this easy. You’ll have to take the risk to show up in your group as whichever part God’s crafted you to be.

Author and researcher Brené Brown says, “True belonging is not passive. It’s not the belonging that comes with just joining a group. It’s not fitting in or pretending or selling out because it’s safer. It’s a practice that requires us to be vulnerable.” In other words, you’re going to need to bring your failures, your dreams, your successes, and your smelly food to the table. 

As you watch today’s video and read today’s Scriptures, answer these questions. What are some ways you pretend or try to fit in? What can you uniquely bring to your group?