Wednesday, May 28, 2008

The Minority

I feel like I am in the minority here. Why is it that I am not invited/included in things just because I love Jesus. And why on earth am I labeled "religious"!!! I HATE that word, it instantly puts up a wall between me and others. No invites, no personal relationships, no good friendships, all because I am in LOVE with Jesus??? What the crap?!

Why is right wrong and wrong right? Why is true love traded in for attention? Why is this place so screwed up? Why can't they see what we see?

Why can I not tell them or show them who Jesus is? Why don't they ask more questions? What are they afraid of?

This suffering is small, so small. But I'm starting to feel it, the rejection, alienation, despair, urgency, and burdened heart.

Lord Jesus,
Bridge this gap with Your grace. Fill me to the point of overflowing
Use me Jesus to reach this messed up world
Give me the strength to be in not of the world
Shine brightly through me Jesus
so that there is no doubt that I am Yours and that I am set apart for You
Be my strength Jesus
Continue to guide me in Your footsteps
and forgive them for they know not what they do Jesus.
My God, rise up a generation on fire for You
that they may have the cries of Your heart.
My heart screams for Your people
it cries out in pain Jesus for those lost
for the hurting, dying, lost people
MY GOD BE THEIR REFUGE
BE THEIR STRENGTH
BE THEIR SAVIOR
RESCUE THEM JESUS
SAVE THEM FROM THE ENEMY GOD
RISE UP YOUR ARMY LORD
SEND US INTO BATTLE TO FIGHT
FOR THE LOST SOULS OF THIS WORLD
JESUS SHINE SO BRIGHTLY THROUGH US
THAT THE DARKNESS WOULD FLEE
AND ALL WOULD KNOW YOU
My soul is crying out to you tonight, it mourns for Your people.
Its in Your power Jesus that I pray these things.
amen
~standing on His Promise~
CaseyMay

5 comments:

Tracy said...

Hi, CaseyMay! I used to feel like that, too. I used to think 'why don't my friends/co-workers invite me to go out with them after work' or 'why do they feel that they have to stop their conversations when I'm around'? Finally, I heard God speak to me {in my spirit} & He basically said, 'do you WANT to be like them?' Of course, my answer was 'of course not'.

I got to thinking about it & realized that it's a good thing that my co-workers/friends didn't ask me to go out or didn't include me in some conversations. It's because they know that I'm not like them, that worldly things are not important to me.

If you're getting the response you're getting {not being invited or included in things or labeled 'religious'}, it's because you're living the kind of life that Jesus has called you to live.

I'll be praying for boldness for you. Have a great day!

retrobellewife said...

Hey Casey,
Sorry it's been awhile. I've been pretty busy myself, lately. Still, in trying to calm everything that is going on right now, I am glad to be back on your blog. As far as your last post goes- I am so there! It is like you read my mind sometimes, and yet we have never met. :)I feel as though I am being pushed forward, constanty taking the next step and yet I have found myself completely blind as to what's next! You are not the only control freak- I promise. Just ask my family. They will get big grins on their faces and laugh as they tell you with all honesty how bad I really am.
In reply to this post, I totally agree. I can't stand the word religious. I am sure it once had a purpose, but in today's world it is too often used and to a broad range of people. A girl I work with asked me the other day if my parents are really religious. I hated to say no when that would sound wrong, but I didn't know what her definition of religous was. I had to quickly explain that while we haven't been to church in a few years, my parents still acknowledge their faith. I mean, we still pray, read our bibles, talk about God. We also mess up, but try to take note and ask forgiveness. I got so frustrated when she seemed to lose interest in my answer after the first second. They just try to encourage us to work on our personal relationships with God. While I don't necessarily want an invite to everything, I know what you mean by feeling like an outcast. At the end of the day, though, I am glad I don't get a chance to hang out with some people. Some people have that respect in that we can hang out at work and if we meet outside by accident, but otherwise we'd all be uncomfortable if I hung out with them during what they consider to be fun.
Glad to come back on here!

Stephanie said...

Obviously, neither of us, and probably none of us here would say that we want to be like them. But I understand why you'd want to hang out with them. It's a natural thing, right? And Jesus had friends that he spent time with that weren't Christians or generally just believers at the time. They weren't his closest friends of course but that really doesn't make that much of a difference when it comes to be invited for things. And those are the times when our lights can shine the brightest too.

I also hate the word religious. I detest it, but nobody ever really seems to get it.

By the way, I loved the spin you put on this blog by putting the journal at the end. Sometimes I feel like I want to express the things that I'm feeling both on here and to God at the same time. And that's a good way to accomplish that. I'll put that in the blog possiblity bag.

Dragonflysoul said...

Hey luv:

my heart is with you. i have felt this MANY times. the desire to be accepted and to feel a sense of belonging, even where the "world" is concerned, is a hard desire to shake. and i don't think that desire ever goes away totally. it's just one of those basic parts of humanity, a natural "flaw" of the heart :-)

what Tracy wrote above is so so so incredibly true and worth taking note of: if they are leaving you out of things, it's because they know and see that you're different. even when you don't feel it or realize it, the spirit of God is pouring out of you. people feel that! they may have no idea whose presence they're in, but they feel that.

i've cried many times because people "reject" me or leave me out of activities. it hurts so much sometimes. but one scripture that reassures me so much: in John 15, Jesus said to His disciples:

"If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me. "

imagine Jesus speaking that softly to you, as He holds your precious face in His hands.

:-)

Dragonflysoul said...

oh yeah, i HATE the words religious/religion as well. i need someone to explain to me what that is.

but then again, i understand that someone who has never had a relationship with Christ would group anything God-centered or church focused into some "religious" box. it's just the way it be :-)