Present within us all is a deep desire to be understood and accepted—to belong. We chase this our whole lives eagerly hoping someone will care to look beneath our exterior into our heart. Yet sometimes it can feel like we are a dog scratching at the door for entry only to be indefinitely denied.

And yet the dog’s rejection has more to do with what door he is scratching at than the dog himself. We too scratch at the wrong doors seeking to be known and understood and loved. We seek relationships, cliques, achievements, anything that will give of a sense of identity and belonging.

But surface-deep relationships and titles can never stop the nagging of loneliness or fill the ache to be known. We are scratching at the wrong door.

Consider this, the dog—lets call him Scruffy—goes to the home of his master. His master hears the scratching and opens the door instantly to welcome Scruffy into his arms. Here, Scruffy is infinitely known and loved, unlike the doors he previously tried.

If Scruffy had gone to his master first, he would have saved himself the pain of rejection from others. Scruffy’s journey for belonging could only be found behind one door—his masters.

Our journey for belonging is much like this dog. We seek belonging from places that were never meant to be our home.

But we too can return to the Father. We can stop looking for affirmation and belonging in others and begin to accept the love that is already ours.

We are already deeply known. We are already deeply loved. We are already granted belonging in the arms of our Father.

We need only come home.

Why do we beg for acceptance here on earth when already have it from God in heaven? Is not that far far superior?

Yes, we are made to have relationship with others. Relationship is a blessed gift. But human acceptance can never satisfy the soul the way it was intended.

We are wired for the love of the master. We are made to find contentment at one door and one door only—the Fathers.

So let us cease striving, friends. Let us embrace the lavish love of the Father and find our belonging as a member of His family. For He is the Father and all believers are His precious children.

What relationship is more intimate that than of a child and parent? And what love is more unconditional than that of our gracious Heavenly Father?

“And, ‘I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.’”

2 Corinthians 6:18

So let’s come home, brothers and sisters. No where else will we find the belonging we seek.