Author: Chan
Performance: Vincent Cannady, Creep (RadioHead), The Four
YouTube Video posted by: All–Stars
** I do not own the rights to this music****
Our last post I’m a Creep: Part I – Unusual Fit, journeyed through RadioHead’s song “Creep” and explored God created us to be different and not fit in with what’s “normal” (You can read Part I here: https://www.purposenpromises.com/post/i-m-a-creep-part-i-unusual-fit). Nevertheless, if we are honest with ourselves, we all have an innate desire and longing to belong. The need to belong, or belongingness, refers to a universal need to form and maintain positive, stable interpersonal relationships. Belonging is a primary human need. Beyond food and shelter, nothing promotes human flourishing like having a people and place of belonging. I mean, even God said that it’s not good for man to be alone (Genesis 2:18). We all want to feel like we are a part of something.
So, it’s okay to want to belong. Our need to belong motivates us to participate in social activities like clubs, sports teams, religious groups, and civic/community organizations, etc. It also influences our behavior and drives us to assimilate into environments, hide our true selves, conform to societal ideals, and remain in toxic relationships (platonic, familial, community, or romantic). As we yearn for a place to belong, there is comfort in the assurance that we belong to God (Psalm 100:3). The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it, the world and its inhabitants too (Psalm 24:1). When life is hard, or when we’ve turned away from God for an extended season, we can wonder if we still belong to Her. The good is that nothing can separate us away from God and Her love (Romans 8:38-39). So yes, you belong. You have a purpose.
Life presents many challenges as we navigate our need to belong. Many times we ask ourselves, “What the hell am I doing here?”, or utter statements like, “I don’t belong here.” Usually, we say those things for one of the following reasons.
Reason #1. We are in a situation, circumstance, relationship, or place where we do not belong because we have outgrown it and refuse to move on.
Yes, I’m coming for you. LOL! As long as you remain in places you have outgrown, settle in that relationship, stay in that job that no longer challenges you, or continue to hold on to relationships solely for the sake of history, you will not walk in your full purpose. This does not mean that you could not achieve success. However, you will deprive yourself of experiencing the fullness of all God has for you. God has so much more in store for you but receiving that requires that you take that step of faith and let go of that outdated situation.
I know there may be history, time, effort, love, reputation, and establishment there, but what God has for you is so much more to offer than what you’re holding onto. When food expires, it is wise to stop eating it and discard it. Initially, the food was valuable and served a purpose, but once it expired it loses its ability to provide you with the healthy nutrients you need. Even worse, eating expired food can make you sick. Although my example involves food, you can replace the word “food” with whatever has expired in your life. Are you holding onto something that has expired? Let that thing go!
Reason #2. We are where we belong, but our insecurities make us feel like we are not worthy of being there.
Honestly, I’ve struggled with this one. Being blessed with a high-powered position at a young age with limited experience made me question if I really belonged there. However, I came to the realization that I deserved it, and I excelled at my job. Maybe you’re experiencing similar doubts, and are struggling with being in blessed circumstances, relationships, environments, positions, and so forth and you feel you are not worthy of it. To you, I say: YOU DESERVE TO BE THERE! The sky is not going to fall out from under you (well any more than it already has in 2020 lol). You deserve that love, that peace, that job, that joy, that family, that relationship, that healing, that freedom, that blessing. You deserve to be happy and fulfilled. Truth is none of us are worthy of the blessings and the love God gives us. No matter what you have done in the past, or how you feel about yourself, God saw fit to bless YOU with that thing because She loves YOU. So, enjoy your blessing and live!
Reason #3. We’ve done all God has asked us to do and walked in faith, yet we find ourselves in places we FEEL we DO NOT belong.
If this is you, then more than likely your current surroundings do not look like the promise God made to you. You may be asking yourself, “What am I doing here?” or “How did I get here?” You’ve likely overanalyzed the situation and have reminisced on every decision and move you’ve made trying to find a wrong turn to explain this paradox called your life. What do you do when you’ve done all God has called you to do, and still find yourself stuck in a place you feel you don’t belong? I don’t know why this happens, and I’m not going to lie, I don’t have an answer to this question, but I do have encouragement.
Fact is, you’re here (whatever your “here” may be). You may or may not like your "here". Wherever you are, please know that you are not powerless. Our power lies in how we respond to our circumstances. Walking in God’s purpose presents levels of challenges, some that may seem insurmountable. On our journey to purpose, it is normal to encounter, circumstances, places, and situations that are unfair and baffling. Be honest with yourself and God about how you feel about your “here.” It’s okay to have moments when you are not okay.
Joseph had no idea that sharing a dream God gave him would lead to him being sold into slavery and imprisoned (Genesis 37:18-36; Genesis 39: 19-21). God, through a prophet, told David he would be king, and afterward David spent years running for his life and hiding in caves because the king wanted to kill him (1 Samuel 21 -23). David and Joseph both followed God’s instructions, yet they found themselves in circumstances where I’m sure they felt they did not belong. But that was not the end of their story. David became king, and Joseph was released from prison and elevated beyond measure. Don’t allow temporary circumstances, and what seems like failures and setbacks to keep you from reaching your destiny. Continue to trust God and walk in Her will.
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