No one wants to feel excluded, rejected, or dismissed; people desire to belong, to be loved, and to be included. However, nowadays, inclusion is demanded, and some attempt to legislate it. The truth is the root issue of inclusion is a spiritual matter, and we should first find out what God says about it.
..therefore the Lord God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken. So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life. Genesis 3:23-24
The problem of being excluded began in the Garden of Eden. When sin entered the world through Adam and Eve, man became separated in his relationship with God, with himself, and with his wife. He ran from God, became ashamed, and blamed his wife for his actions. Subsequently, the Lord cursed Adam, Eve, the serpent, and the earth, and therefore, deficiency and lack entered the world. Also, the Lord drove Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden. Talk about rejection and exclusion! Humanity has been subject to the same rejection and exclusion from the beginning, and it is at the root of man’s need for inclusion and acceptance.
…just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. Ephesians 1:4-6
It was God’s intention from the beginning to redeem humanity from the curse of sin and to restore His relationship with man, which was lost in the Garden. Jesus came as the only solution to man’s sin problem. When we accept Jesus as our Savior and Lord, God removes our sin and gives us His nature. We become children of God and adopted by Him. This is is the starting point of feeling loved, accepted, and included in the household of God. God has a solution for humanity but it has to be done His way and on His terms.
Being born again and belonging to the household of God is foundational to our security, identity, and acceptance. We may have the acceptance of the rest of the world, but if we don’t have the acceptance of God, it is not going to do us any good. We cannot enjoy the peace of God in our soul and spirit. We see this reality with some of the popular celebrities that experience discontentment. Although they are loved by millions of fans, it does not give them enough satisfaction to keep them from self-destructive behaviors. Furthermore, we may gain acceptance through various legislations, but unless we are right with God, we will not feel accepted and at rest.
As believers, we need to change the conversation in society by discussing God’s true acceptance and inclusion that satisfies the thirsty hearts. We need to talk about God’s inclusion with our family and friends, so they will not have to waste years of their lives chasing something that will not bring about true satisfaction.
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay