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A short while ago my son, who was three at the time, traveled with me to do a convention. As I was in the middle of my message, Sumner, who was sitting in the back of the auditorium, jumped on his chair and began waving his hands in the air and shouted as loud as he could, "Dad, you're the man!" It's incredible the influence those words had on my message. It was like waving a red flag in front of a bull. I was off and preaching!

I asked my pastor once what the difference was between a preacher and a teacher and he said, "That's easy, a preacher sweats." Well, I soon realized that I must be a preacher. Angel, my wife, began to use this as a measuring device on what kind of services I had. When she would unpack my suitcase and find my shirts drenched, she would know we had "revival." If the shirts were dry, well, so were the services. I've found this theory is not always 100 percent accurate, or I have had some major moves of God while mowing our yard!

It makes a huge difference in a person's life to have someone we know and love affirm who we are and what we are doing. I know there have been times when my flesh didn't want to go out and preach. I just wanted to stay home, relax, and take the weekend off. Then Angel would encourage me on the way out the door by saying, "Cut loose this weekend and don't hold back." Wow, what a send off! Those little words would make the difference.

Everybody needs to belong and know that we do have a purpose! One of the greatest revelations any Christian could receive is that you truly do belong. God has given each one of us a place, purpose, and a time on this earth. Once we know that we belong, that we are important to God and His kingdom, it causes us to reach our maximum potential. One of the main purposes of the Holy Spirit is to "confirm you to the end" (1 Cor. 1:8). There are times when people may let us down and may not encourage us by their words or lack of words; but the Holy Spirit is there the whole time, confirming who we are and what God has placed us here for.

Here are keys that will help us know that we do belong:

• Realize God Cares More About Who You Are Than What You Do: Identity is an important thing. It's so easy for us to wrap our identity up in what kind of work we do rather than who we are. I have two children. If one becomes a plumber and the other becomes a doctor, will I love one child more than the other? No way, I don't love them because of what they do. I love them because of who they are. God is the same way. He plays no favorites because of vocation, grade point average, or football abilities. He loves His children because of who they are and not what they do! (Acts 10:34).
  
  
• Blast Through the "Accident Theory": Your mom may affectionately refer to you as "mom's little accident," but God doesn't. You may have been a surprise to your parents, but God had you planned before the foundation of the world for such a time as this. One of the biggest spoofs about evolutionism or Darwinism is the lie that everything that happens is an accident! God doesn't call you an accident; He calls you important! (Jer. 1:5; Zech. 2:8).
  
  
• Know You Are Loved!: It's true! If you are to tell how much someone loves you by how much they have sacrificed for you, God the Father is your guy! He sacrificed His only son for you so He could have a relationship with you! It needs to burn in your spirit. God does love me! Say it again and again until it's real on the inside (John. 3:16).
  
  
• Stir Yourself Up: Aggressively stir yourself up, go after it! You do belong. In fact, God says you are accepted in the beloved! (Eph. 1:6). The enemy will see to it and do everything in his power to prevent you from feeling like you belong, but we have the power to tell the devil to shut up and grab hold of God's promise. Sing it, say it, pray it, and believe it: I do belong!
  
  You are important to God and to His kingdom. He has placed you here for "such a time as this." Don't hold back, it's time to go for it because You do belong!