{"id":2623,"date":"2011-11-15T11:45:49","date_gmt":"2011-11-15T16:45:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/?p=2623"},"modified":"2014-07-21T10:14:55","modified_gmt":"2014-07-21T14:14:55","slug":"fitting-in-a-sense-of-belonging-greater-than-the-world-can-offer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/fitting-in-a-sense-of-belonging-greater-than-the-world-can-offer\/","title":{"rendered":"“Fitting In” – A Sense of Belonging Greater Than the World Can Offer"},"content":{"rendered":"

From elementary school, through junior high, high school, college and beyond – how many times have you heard or thought, \u201cI just don\u2019t fit in”.<\/p>\n

Everyone is \u201cOut\u201d<\/h2>\n

While this is a universal problem, it appears to be accentuated among women.\u00a0 Over the years in working with college students, we\u2019ve noticed a strange phenomenon\u2026everyone is \u201cout\u201d!\u00a0 We frequently hear the concern raised that, \u201cI\u2019m just not in the \u201cin\u201d crowd\u201d. \u00a0So, what has become apparent to us?…no one believes they are \u201cin\u201d! The \u201cnerd\u201d who thinks he isn\u2019t cool enough, the \u201cbrainiac\u201d who says others don\u2019t like him, the \u201cplain\u201d girl who is sure she\u2019s not pretty enough, the \u201cjock\u201d who thinks he has to perform to be liked, the \u201ccheerleader\u201d who has an eating disorder to look a certain way \u2013 the list goes on and on.\u00a0 And I can relate to this because I\u2019m not sure I\u2019ve ever truly felt like I \u201cfit in\u201d either!<\/p>\n

Why is this problem more prevalent among women? We were uniquely created by God to be relational \u2013 designed to flourish using our skills in relation to others.\u00a0 We were called to be helpers. As John Piper puts it, \u201cdisplaying that part of God\u2019s glory that wouldn\u2019t be displayed if there were no women”. As God helps all of us, we, in some small measure, have the privilege of helping as well.<\/p>\n

But, as a result of the fall, our sin nature twists all good gifts from God.\u00a0 Now, instead of using my design to focus on others, it gets twisted and our focus becomes the clamoring after a place to belong. We want to feel secure, to \u201cfit in\u201d because that gives us a surface sense of security. Why do little girls buy \u201cbest friend\u201d necklaces and wear one half of it each so that only when they are together, do the necklaces \u201cfit\u201d together? Why do we need to go to the bathroom in packs? Consider that it is out of a desire to find security and a place of belonging.<\/p>\n

Real Satisfaction for a Real Longing<\/h2>\n

<\/strong>The issue is a real one.\u00a0 The sad thing is that we are so often deceived about where to find the answers.\u00a0 We\u00a0mistakenly\u00a0believe that if we find someone who completely understands us, we\u2019ll fill that longing.\u00a0 In reality, that longing has been addressed and satisfied in our Savior!\u00a0 Ephesians 1 tells us that, because of Christ and for those who are His children, we have been blessed with every spiritual blessing. We are adopted as His children. We\u2019ve been blessed with His glorious grace and redeemed by His blood. We’ve\u00a0been forgiven and He has lavished<\/em> His grace upon us – just for starters!<\/p>\n

<\/strong>But while we\u2019re in these sin cursed bodies and on this sin cursed earth, we will not always feel<\/em> as if we belong. This \u201cthorn in the flesh\u201d reminds us of our \u201coutsider\u201d status. We are broken people in a broken world. Use this longing to set your affections on the Christ\u2019s kingdom to come (Col 3:1; 2 Tim 4:8). At that moment, when Christ comes for His bride, you will experience how you fit perfectly with your only true Creator, Redeemer, Companion, real Husband and Lover of your soul.<\/p>\n

So, until the day I am with Him, I\u2019ll stop being surprised by this longing. I’ll thank God that He has already met this need of mine and I’ll use my design to help others learn how to belong to Him as well!<\/p>\n

For more on this topic, see\u00a0Elyse Fitzpatrick\u2019s thoughts on this matter<\/a>.<\/p>\n

—
\nContributions by Brent Aucoin<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

From elementary school, through junior high, high school, college and beyond – how many times have you heard or thought, \u201cI just don\u2019t fit in”. Everyone is \u201cOut\u201d While this is a universal problem, it appears to be accentuated among women.\u00a0 Over the years in working with college students, we\u2019ve noticed a strange phenomenon\u2026everyone is… read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":60,"featured_media":2676,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1,257],"tags":[4506,4446],"yoast_head":"\n"Fitting In" - A Sense of Belonging Greater Than the World Can Offer - Faith Church Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/fitting-in-a-sense-of-belonging-greater-than-the-world-can-offer\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\""Fitting In" - A Sense of Belonging Greater Than the World Can Offer - Faith Church Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"From elementary school, through junior high, high school, college and beyond – how many times have you heard or thought, \u201cI just don\u2019t fit in”. 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