Nurtured by Belonging
Most of us find it really daunting to pull back the façade or religious masks that we have gotten so used to letting others see or experience when around us. For some of us; we’ve been pretending for so long that we’re no longer sure of our true identity.
Our apparent self can become like veneer on furniture--a thin layer that makes us look like something we’re not. We even become fooled into believing that the veneer is who we really are. Let’s take the risk to discover our authentic self. How?
Take a fearless spiritual truth inventory of your inner core—your soul, heart, beliefs’, personality, character, anxious thoughts, fears and even relational authenticity. Do you feel attached to something greater than yourself? Do you even know or have a clue who you are and to whom you belong? If you can’t be true to yourself, you can’t be true to anyone else.
Following is a sample of King David’s inner truth inventory: “O God, investigate my life; get all the facts first hand. I’m an open book to you…Search me, Oh God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting…What you’re after is truth from the inside out. Investigate my life, O God, find out everything about me; Cross-examine and test me, get a clear picture of what I'm about.” (Psalm 139, Msg) I believe with all my heart that David’s fearless inner truth inventory is what made him a man after God’s own heart.
For some it has proven unsafe to reveal what’s going on inside of them. But, I want to reassure you; David proved it is safe to allow God to help you find out what is truth about you. I have found I need regular reminders from Him—as Peter put it; ‘to be stirred up by way of reminder’. We tend to allow fears of rejection and failure to drown out the wonderful moment by moment ways God speaks to our inner core and reminds us of our glorious inheritance and identity in Christ.
There are many voices; in our family of origin, the world, the lies we’ve believed and from the ‘accuser of the brethren’ that would steal our true self in Christ.
“I’ve written to warn you about those who are trying to deceive you. But they’re no match for what is embedded deeply within you—Christ’s anointing, no less! You don’t need any of their so-called teaching. Christ’s anointing teaches you the truth on everything you need to know about yourself and him, uncontaminated by a single lie. Live deeply in what you were taught (by His anointing and Spirit within).
And now, children, stay with Christ. Live deeply in Christ…What marvelous love the Father has extended to us! Just look at it—we’re called children of God! That’s who we really are…But friends, that’s exactly who we are: children of God. And that’s only the beginning. Who knows how we’ll end up! What we know is that when Christ is openly revealed, we’ll see him—and in seeing him, become like him.” 1 John 2: 26-28a & 3: 1, 2, 3a, The Message, emphasis and parenthesis added.
When this good news forms the basis of our beliefs about our core; our fearless inner inventory will look more and more like Christ. “But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.” 1 John 3: 2b-3 NIV. As He is in the world, so are we! There we are daily nurtured by belonging to Him!
In the grip of belonging grace! Ron Ross
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