By Desiree Bustamante

You don’t belong to this world.

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking this SoundCloud link.

“The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you.”
John 15:19 New Living Translation

Do you feel out of place in this world? Our world grows stranger to us every day. There is an ever-increasing amount of rhetoric, hatred, violence, selfishness and evil. Even though we are warned in Scripture that these qualities would become more prevalent, we are still surprised. We feel that we are out of place.

And we are.

Because we live by God’s Word and the grace He freely gives us, we are not comfortable on this earth. If we follow Christ, we don’t think, act or live as the world lives. We choose to live a life of love, generosity, and freedom through the Holy Spirit. Those who belong to this world speak from the world’s viewpoint, and the world listens to them, so we are often considered foolish for our beliefs and lifestyle. We live in the light of Christ while the world lives in darkness.

So, when you feel you don’t belong and become weary at all the evil you see, remember who you are—a uniquely created child of God made for His kingdom, where you have a special place with Him forever. This world is temporary. Shine your light of love wherever you go yet remember that you belong to God. You have won the victory over evil because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world. You are a dearly loved child of your Heavenly Father.

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado