We must know who we belong to

"3 When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, 4 what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? 5 You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor.” ( Psalm 8:3-5)

“Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters. 12 He says, ‘I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters; in the assembly I will sing your praises.’” (Hebrews 2:11-12)

I recently read about a pastor whose daughter keeps a daily notebook. On one page she had drawn a picture of her father and written his name and address. When asked why, she explained. She had been watching a movie about amnesia. Then she said, "If I ever forget who I am, I want everybody to know who I belong to."

Belonging is very important. And knowing who we belong to is even more important. Our Bible readings from Hebrews and Psalm 8 talk about belonging and our relationship with God. We are brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ! Children of God.

I had a children’s sermon a couple of weeks ago asking the kids what they saw when they looked in a mirror. I told them that the reflection they see in the mirror is a person made in the image of God, a child of God. We belong to God.

It's important to belong because that's the deep longing we all have. We want to be a part of something larger than us. We want to feel needed and loved. We are a people who need community to survive. We want to be part of the family. We want to be one of the family because there is a certain sense of unconditional love and belonging in most families. Not all, but most. And especially in the family of God.

We are the children of God. We belong to the family of God. We are Jesus’ brothers and sisters. Our true Father is God and that makes us part of the family. God wants what is best for our lives. He can be trusted.

I recently came across a study about dairy farmers who called their cows by name and the cows were more productive. Over the course of a year, a cow would give an extra 68 gallons of milk when called by name.

God has called you by name. He knows each of us that personally. You are chosen, holy, and beloved. When we look at each other, we see the face of God. When we look in each other’s eyes, and let the heart of faith and the presence of the Holy Spirit use our eyes, we see the family resemblance.