Have You Ever Been Disowned?

How many times can a person be disowned without it affecting them? 

Have you ever been disowned? Have you ever been told you’re no longer part of the family?

Maybe not a family, but perhaps a softball team, church, group of friends, or dinner club?

And why the announcement? Because you didn’t measure up in someone’s eyes. You were either too this or that; somehow you didn’t meet the expectations of the designated leader.

And it’s such a shame.

Or is it?

How do you feel when you’re told in no uncertain terms, “You do not belong! You are no longer one of us”?

I know it can really hurt. I’ve experienced it several times in my life. I wanted to belong, because I believed I should.

There have even been times I felt it was my God-given right to belong; my birthright, if you will. But hey, what do I know? I wasn’t the one making the rules.

Even though I knew I was loved and appreciated by a number of other people, and I’d try to act like it didn’t matter, it still hurt to be disowned.

It hurt like crazy. 

Perhaps you’ve experienced some of the same rejection. How does it make you feel? What are you doing with your feelings? Are you handling them well, or do you find yourself making excuses for the rule maker?

 How many lifetimes will you have to live before you find the correct formula for making the grade? 

 And what if the rules change, like they sometimes do?

Can you maintain your vigilance, chasing the elusive right to belong, and still be who God created you to be?

I think I’m finally starting to understand that to some, unless I act exactly according to their rules, I’ll never belong.

What about you? Are there people who love to hold the coveted “you are finally good enough to belong to us” award in front of your face? They know you can’t live without it; you so want to belong to their group. Family, friends, team, whoever; you only want to belong.

But you can’t. Because if you have to change that much just to fall in line with them, are you really you?

I am so glad my Heavenly Father doesn’t treat His family that way.

“…those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them.” (John 6:37 NLT)

“The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.” In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary” (1 Corinthians 12:21-22 NLT)

Notice the Head (Christ) won’t say to the feet (you and I), “I don’t need you.”

Even when we don’t measure up, the Ruler of the Universe offers grace and mercy. Though we may have disgraced Him, His Name, and His Family, He says, “Come unto Me.”

And He’s always ready to help us with any changes we may need to make.

Though we may be disowned and cast aside like a used paper towel, God has promised to never leave us or forsake us. He says we belong. 

His blood was sufficient for all our shortcomings, all our failures. That’s why He went to the cross.

Others may be too good to help someone as rotten as you and I measure up to their standards. But the Lord of All came in our stead, took our place, so we could become part of His family.

Disowned? It happens, and it hurts. But you don’t need to be alone. There’s Someone Who will receive you; all you need to do is receive Him.

“For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.” (2 Corinthians 5:21 NLT)

Will you?