Included But Not…

 

Have you ever had the feeling that you are “included” with a group or a person/s, but when it comes right down to it, you are really not? That you are included whenever the group or the person/s involved WANT YOU TO BE, but otherwise not? In other words, included only at the convenience of “them” or “they”, or “he or she”.

In yet other words, you are not really part of, despite what they say, that unit, that “we” or that “us”? Because in truth that “we” or that “us” does not really include you, not really, not at the bottom line of things? Where it really counts? That these types of folks hold cards in reserve, want you when they want you, but otherwise, “don’t bother me today, I have other things to do” type of attitude?

So now let’s take that all too real concept and go back to the days of the Lord, and we could extend that all the way through the entire church age. Have you ever gone to a church where you were told you were part “of them” but you sort of knew you were not? Not really? That all of this is fallen humanity conditional acceptance – but oh how conditional it really is at the root of all of it. Yes, you are welcomed (possibly), as now part of a larger group and this is your new church “home”. You become a “we” or an “us”. Their home is your home sort of thing? But as they examine you, as they explore who you are, what you are, they begin to distance themselves because it is found, alas, you do not believe perhaps, exactly as they do, or for any number of reasons that can be conjured up, and you ask questions that “they” cannot answer or do not want to answer, or do not want to discuss it. Suddenly your new “home” is really not your home at all – only when they want it to be, but otherwise “not”.

The more questions you have, the more they cannot answer, and then the “included” becomes slowly a “not included”. The church functions, the private invites to people’s homes for private entertainment, and you find yourself on the outside looking in, not invited, excluded, and wondering what and why all of this happened? Where once you were “in” and “included” in all functions and private invites. Their family and their friends were now part of your family and your friends. They were excited for you to meet their relatives and friends, could not wait to have you meet them. But then, for one reason or another, you find out that the “family” is not really your family at all and well, somehow you never get to meet all of these other folks. Somehow it all vanishes away in a smoke.

Once you were “in” and now you are “out”. Once their home was your home, their friends and relatives were your friends and relatives, but now it becomes their home and “private”. You are not included. You have been “uninvited and excluded”. Does not matter what reason is actually given, perhaps none at all. It is what it is. And it hurts. Exclusion always hurts, no matter how strong you may think you are. Jesus was acquainted with all of that. So is anyone who really knows Him. One is really never in, not in this world, in spite of all the rhetorical baloney handed out by lying lips and lying brains. It is what it is.

So what are we looking at? It is a good look at the depraved human heart. Fully conditional. “I will love you forever and ever, eternity even…IF” Or “You only, no one else IF” . It has actually been that way all down through time. You are “in” and then you are “out”. Once you were invited but now you are not. Usually starts small – one invitation not given, then another, then another. It all depends upon what the definition of IF is. You get the drift… So be ready for it – especially in these days and times, where family will betray you and feed you to the dogs…

Let’s take that concept to the corporate world, you know, that dog eat dog Marxist/communist slave organization, that freedom loving Americans have sold their souls to. In that world you can be in until they use you up, and then you are out. The selling of men’s souls, as it were. It is a form of usury. Human usury. Why do people beat out their brains, destroy themselves and others just for a paycheck from a communist organization, which is exactly what a corporation really is. It is of the fallen nature. No matter where you turn you find it. So how does one handle it? How do you handle this sort of behavior?

There is no easy answer to it. Whereas Christ and His love is open, totally transparent, all accepting, always welcoming no matter what or who, never disinvite for any reason and ready to accept one and all, fallen nature is just the opposite. Secretive, exclusionary, private. ” I will love you if, and then the list of ifs are given. Conditional, very conditional. The two stand in stark contrast one to the other. When the love of Christ meets the other head on, well, it is hard to understand it.

“A soul convinced against their will, is of the same opinion still.”

 

 

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