The continued lesson from our Pastor

The continued lesson from our Pastor Mike is about the word, Belong.
My last writing was about family.
The times shared together through holidays, vacations, meals shared, defining moments that say ‘we belong to each other and we are family.’
It is a how we say ‘we belong here’.
The church is very similar to the relationship of family.
We learn how to belong through the context of commitment and time spent together.
Pastor said if we don’t grasp and embrace the family we will struggle with ‘the OUR Father’ concept.
Families who are healthy look out for each other, do good to each other, carry one another’s burdens.
When someone is sharing a matter of their heart we listen and invest in their journey.
In family we encourage each other to grow and mature.
When we have hard and difficult times we cannot overcome alone. We belong to each other and we walk alongside each other, in the context of family if we don’t make it together we don’t make it all.
The church is very similar. It cannot be whole by itself, it must have people who say “I belong here.”
In family the problems are shared. Your problem becomes my problem and we can work on it together.
The burden belongs to all who align themselves as ‘belonging’. No one is alone.
When a family is strong, the enemy will try to attack and break down the ‘walls of belonging.’
He will attack our identity, our unity, our peace, our faithfulness, and our hope.
It’s really hard to continue to belong when the forces are against us.
We find ourselves discouraged and pulled down when we allow the enemy to speak lies to us.
Pastor said, “until you have revelation of truth you will never understand the powers that are against you to survive and stay together.” The church is the same way.
He said a dysfunctional family will make more relational withdrawals than healthy deposits.
Health deposits must be a family commitment.
Pastor said we must learn to carry each other’s burdens while dropping our ways of defense.
If someone in your family or church betrays you, only you have the power to decide how you are going to release it and let it go. Healthy relationships honor you and whisper affirming words to your spirit.
Relationships mean showing up for each other. Making time matter. Showing up means sacrificing our agenda and our plans for each other, it is all a part of belonging.
Showing up means you are present with the person while you are listening to them in person.
The key to all of this teaching is this; vulnerability lies in the heart of connection.
It is all a part of belonging. Allowing others to see us, and then allow each of us to connect to the commitment to each other.
When I say I belong to my church Grace chapel, I am saying I value it, I thrive in it and I commit to it.
Showing up is putting action to our words. Life works so much better through the context of relationships.
Let’s learn to do them well.