So 7th grade rolls around. It's time for me to go to a new school in Grove City, OH. This was a time in my life that I dreaded facing because everybody at this age is at some point established in their own cliques, and for a new kid to come in is a pretty hard thing. It was no exception for me. I can remember it being about halfway thru the school year before I was first invited to go and hang out at a new friend's house, let alone, sit by anybody at a lunch table. The feeling of loneliness had set in and I knew I was experiencing what it's like to be labeled, a "Loser.”

Maybe at some point in your life you've been like me and felt like you were on the outside, not belonging with the "in" crowd. Maybe it's because your thoughts are telling you that you look different, don’t like the things that everyone else likes or if it's because of a faith claimed in Jesus, that our world looks at us as a backward thing. But whatever it might be, I wrote the song "Losers" for anybody who has faced this in life and I'm guessing that it's probably been you at least once or twice.

The message of this song is twofold; one...being an anthem for anybody like this to relate with and two...to know that we're not alone in this battle of trying to find identity and a place to belong. What I have to say to that is, find identity in Christ first before looking to friends, popularity, money or anything else because all those things will let us down time and time again.

I heard a really good quote from the pastor at my home church in Franklin, TN. He said, "Until we find peace in our relationship with God, we can't expect our relationships with people to make sense." I absolutely love what he said because the more I thought about this I realized that this is really what being a Christian is! It starts inside us with our relationship with Jesus; finding his love and purpose for our lives, being made to love and be loved by Him and then to bring that love and purpose to the people around us. So my first challenge to anyone dealing with the feeling of being a "Loser,” is to find your identity first in Christ's love. Know that you are a child of the King.

Let's check out Matthew 25:31-40. Take the next few minutes to read it here.

My favorite part, where I believe the heart of Me in Motion comes from, is in verse 40. "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it for me'." This is the second challenge of the song "Losers.”

I believe that in life we all meet someone every single day who could be called "the least of these,” whether it's a lonely kid at the lunch table, a neighbor who might need help with something big, someone who just needs an open ear to listen or open arms to give a hug. I'm also willing to believe that there is someone in your life that comes to your mind at this very moment that you know. Jesus is nudging you to reach out and show His love, maybe even through a phone call or email. I can think of several right now as I sit here at a coffee shop in San Antonio, TX writing this. I do admit, this kind of thing can feel unnatural for us because it stretches the limits of what we are comfortable doing or maybe even willing to do. But this attitude of open arms must be made a lifestyle practiced with every person we meet. Otherwise, we will find ourselves retreating to a comfortable bubble where we live a "safe and secure" life. I encourage all of us to remember that our #1 calling in life as Christians is to first find our identity in Christ and then to spread that to the people around us, through living out our faith in a life of love and compassion to all.

So my second challenge with this song is this: Look for a way today to reach out to somebody around you that needs to feel loved.

I want to close with a prayer, that I encourage you to pray with me as you read this. Let this be the cry of your heart today:

"Dear Father, Thank you for loving me today. Thank you that you take me for who I am, with all my imperfections and mistakes. Thank you for giving me purpose, and calling me your child, so that I know I'm not, and I have never been a Loser!

Forgive me for not looking at people around me through your eyes. I pray today that you let me see people the way you see them. Show me somebody in my life that needs your love, just like I do. Guide me to the people that you've called "the least of these". And give me the strength to be the open arms that they need.

My life is yours. My purpose is in You. And my identity will forever be in You. Amen."



Click here to read another great Me In Motion devotional on the song "The God I Know."