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You might be the odd-person out in your family. Maybe, since you trusted Christ, you’ve become the outsider in your group of friends. It could be that you're not as quick-witted, serious, beautiful, as passionate, athletic, quiet or loud as the people around you. Whether it comes from seeing someone else's seemingly perfect squad on Insta, or feeling like no one around you shares your same interests, there can be a real loneliness that comes with feeling like you're trying hard to fit in.
In 2 Samuel 9, we see a true story of someone who really didn't belong. Yet King David, seeking to show kindness, found an unlikely misfit, and chose to tell him he'd be permanently welcome at his royal table. King David’s kindness to the crippled Mephibosheth is a picture of God’s kindness to us. By God's grace, those who have trusted Christ for salvation are permanently welcomed into His royal family and treated as sons and daughters of The King instead of outcasts.
When we feel a little too different, a little unwelcome, or kind of like an outsider among friends or family this Christmas, we can hold tight to the truth that we are wanted and accepted by God. His opinion is the only one that truly matters, and He has given us a permanent place to belong.
Read the following scriptures and answer the questions below.
John 1:12 – But to those who did receive him, he gave the right to become sons of God.
2 Samuel 9:11b,13b – So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table, like one of the king’s sons…He ate always at the king’s table. Now he was lame in both his feet.
Isaiah 41:9 - "I took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest corners I called you. I said, 'You are my servant'; I have chosen you and have not rejected you."
When and where do you feel most out of place? What makes you feel that way? How do your own insecurities play into that? (Pro-Tip: Be honest about your experiences, but fight to believe the best in those around you).
How does God’s permanent offer to you of acceptance and belonging affect the way you respond when you feel misunderstood or like the odd-person out?
Where do you think God has given you the power to extend the same kindness by including other people who need to know that they belong?
Pray: God, thank you that whether or not I am accepted among my friends and family, you have given me a permanent place to belong among the family of believers. Help me to find comfort in being accepted by you, and to offer acceptance to others because of your kindness to me.