Let’s talk about being Invited

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Lysa TerKuerst wrote a new book called “Uninvited”. I’m on the launch team so I had a chance to read a couple chapters. What a concept, huh? She’s writing about what we all feel at one time or another. Rejected, on the outside, unwelcome. It’s universal.

You can pre- order her book here and you’ll receive five chapters as a sneak peak!

http://www.p31bookstore.com/collections/by-lysa-terkeurst  

Everything else in this post is me-except the beautiful graphics, those are from Lysa-my thoughts and words are below and not connected to the book except the topic of the book is SO GOOD and really has me thinking.

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Oh the lies and bill of goods we have been sold. Popularity…being liked…getting “likes”…we place so much importance on things that don’t matter in the long run.

Facebook plays into all of our insecurities and FOMO (Fear of missing out). We see the beautiful pictures of our friends laughing and spending time together without us. Or we hear a story about something fun that happened and we wonder why we weren’t invited. We worry that we don’t pass the muster. Or that our husband doesn’t. Or our kids. We let bitterness take root. We lose confidence and we withdraw. But we still see and hear which just feels like a dumping on our heads of heavy rejection.

Heck, sometimes there’s nothing even going on and we only perceive the slight.  Maybe we’ve been rejected in the past so we assume we are being rejected now.  Maybe we don’t believe we are worthy of being invited.

This is not our inheritance. Jesus did not die on a cross for us so we would sit home feeling lonely and isolated. He invites us into belonging.

You may feel like the beautiful people are out without you. Maybe they are, who cares?  I have been with that crew. It’s exhausting.  All that time spent planning and maneuvering and manipulating and posturing. And for what? Shiny parties end.  Often all you’re left with is a hangover.  Just because you get invited doesn’t mean you won’t carry around a gut wrenching feeling of loneliness anyway.

My wise mom once told me, “In your 20’s and 30’s you want to be invited everywhere. Once you hit 40, you just hope and pray the phone doesn’t ring”.  So true!  Yet even when we are older and wiser, not being invited can still sting.

Maybe you have felt rejected at church. It seems wrong but I’ve talked to enough people and been around enough churches to know that no place is immune to cliques and judgments and people performing and jockeying for a spot at the top. Maybe your feeling of rejection comes from your career or your ministry. Maybe you feel like you have been passed over. Maybe you see other people “succeeding” and you wonder why it’s not you.  Maybe you have heard criticism of your work or your ideas have been mocked. Maybe you feel like nobody believes in your dreams. Maybe you feel invisible.

Here’s the BIG T Truth. God sees you. God loves you. God chooses you. He calls you worthy.

Train your thoughts to return to that Truth.

He not only understands your dreams and the desires of your heart, He put them there!

Remind yourself. He is your audience. He is cheering from the front row. He believes in you.

He IS the cool group. He will lead you to the place you want to be. He says you are amazing. He wants your heart and your time. He invites you into relationship with Him.

No other invitation can compare. No party shines like His.  No feast is bigger. No man loves like Him.  No dance partner is as captivating. No calling is greater than the one He gives to you.  No other celebration LASTS FOREVER.

Friends, you ARE INVITED. Will you sit around with FOMO about earthly things that are temporary and unfulfilling or will you say a Great Big Yes to the invitation that will transform your life?

©2016, Sue Bidstrup, All Rights Reserved, Great Big Yes™