SUPPORTING SCRIPTURE
Ephesians 2:19 Looking for good Bible verses to reflect on, or wondering why the Bible matters for your everyday life? Check out our verse reflection below. It’s one of our simple devotions, great for getting started reading the Bible, and hearing how Scripture is making an impact in the lives of other believers!
Start Right Where You Are
“Who am I…and where do I belong?” It’s a valid struggle—whether you’re feeling disconnected from friends, find yourself at a career questioning moment, or you’re far from home—a sense of belonging is something we’re all searching for.
The writer of today’s verse reflection lives across the world, far from friends and family. Check out the devo she wrote and learn about the place of belonging God prepares for each of us. Her reflection provides some wisdom on how belonging can start right where you are…
Scripture: Ephesians 2:19
“Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household.”
Written by Bella Newberry
Across the world from my dad’s home-cooked meals and laughter with my sister, there have been moments that my heart has ached for belonging. Recently, I was sitting in a living room with some friends, and I looked around me to see faces from all over the world—Taiwan, the U.S., Canada, Japan. We laughed, ate, sang, and shared our hearts. We talked about belonging and the motivations behind what we are doing. I realized that although I was away from my biological family these people sitting around me were my spiritual family.
In Ephesians, Paul pens a powerful encouragement to affirm the believers in Ephesus of who they are in Christ. Paul reminds them they are made alive, children of God, and fellow citizens with God’s people—they belong to the new family of God.
Paul then encourages them to live motivated by that identity and sense of belonging (v. 22). Knowing they have a place in the family of God, their identity is sealed. They no longer have to strive to belong. Not only that, all of their giftings and the ways they were made can be used for good in this new family. They have full freedom to express a life that glorifies God knowing that they belong and their identity is already marked in Christ.
Why It Matters
You belong. You, your gifts, your quirks, your story, and even your struggles. The family of Christ is a place where the stranger, the outcast, and the foreigner can sit around the same table to live out our purposes and identity in Christ. This week, practice believing you belong by vulnerably sharing who God’s made you to be with other Christians. Also, identify a few ways that other believers are strengthening your relationship with Christ.
Simple Bible devotions are a great way to connect with God in the everyday. We’ve got verse reflections that help us see reasons why the Bible is relevant today. Visit this page to check them out!
