He did this so that they might seek God, and perhaps they might reach out and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. For in him we live and move and have our being… (Acts 17:27-28)
One of the most reviving things a human can experience is a sense of belonging. This is essential for a person to thrive in life, and especially the life God has called him or her to live. Paul directed his audience at Mars Hill to the true God that they actually belonged to. These philosophers and Athenians gave themselves over to tons of gods, but Paul was pointing them to the One who really made them, and the One who manifested himself so that they might know him (17:27).
This speaks powerfully to the human heart. We are not some cosmic accident, or owned by hundreds of capricious gods, but we are uniquely created with dignity and purpose by God and to be in relationship with God (Gen. 1:26-28). As created beings, we belong to our Maker. We belong to the One who knew us even before we existed. That’s what the psalmist beautifully describes in Psalm 139, “Your eyes saw me when I was formless; all my days were written in your book and planned before a single one of them began” (139:16). Before we existed, we existed to God. We belonged to God even before we took our first breath. He’s the One true God.
Whenever I talk to someone about God for the first time, I always begin with God creating them, knowing them, loving them, and having a purpose and plan for them. Why? Because these areas are what every person is chasing after in some way or another, and for good reason—because God made us that way. Reread Paul’s evangelistic message at Mars Hill and see how he addressed the human essential, not in a religion, product, five self-help tips, but in a transcended and intimate Creator God, who cares about his creation, and that we belong to…For in him we live and move and have our being.