Included

        I have always struggled with feeling excluded from many of people who surround me. As the youngest of five kids, I was rarely included in the games of my older siblings. I’ll be standing in a circle having a conversation and the circle slowly shrinks, people start moving closer and somehow, it starts to move in front of me and eventually, I am on the outside looking in. In conversations, my opinion is rarely ever asked or heard, people used to always talk over what I had to say, which I believe is very much of the reason I am introverted now. I believe I will always struggle with feeling excluded, I’m not saying any of  this to say, invite me to stuff or make me feel welcome, I have a point for this. As I’ve grown up and matured, I’ve realized, it’s not important to feel included, it’s ok to not be heard, sometimes, it’s important to be quiet and be on the outside, watching because I can see things, hear things, and learn from what I’m seeing and hearing. I’ll be honest, it actually really shocks me when people start talking to me and I kind of shut down because I have no idea what to say, but that’s beside the point.

        This week, it really hit me, it’s ok to feel excluded, because I am included in the Kingdom of Heaven. That’s the only thing that truly matters. If we look at the life of Jesus, He was excluded, many people did not accept Him for who He truly was. I am not at all comparing myself to Jesus, but, it’s important to notice that what we go through, Jesus went through it a thousand times worse than we ever will. I’m only excluded by my little cluster of people in this huge world while Jesus was and is excluded by thousands upon thousands of people in the whole world. However, we are INcluded in the Kingdom of Heaven as soon as we accept Christ and we are EXcluded from this world because we are not like the world anymore. We are included in getting to glorify the amazing God who is sovereign over everything. We are INcluded in the movement of getting to make His name known to a person from every tribe of the world. We are EXcluded from honoring man and the world. We are INcluded in honoring the God who planned everything that happens, the God who knows how many hairs are on each person’s head from before He created everything. We are EXcluded from living for ourselves and we are INcluded in living for the God who has had everything planned since before time existed. As Christians, we are excluded from the world, we are now all outcasts and looking on from the outside and figuring out how God will include us in His plan on reaching those people we’re watching. “If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also will persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know Him who sent me” John 15:19-21. As a Christian, I am not of this world, I am EXcluded from the place I tried, for so long, to fit into, but I am INcluded in the greatest plan and greatest love that will ever exist. Feeling excluded from the world is not a bad thing, it’s hard, but it’s ok because we are included in the Kingdom of God and that is the greatest thing that can ever happen to us. The feelings of exclusion I have, will probably never go away, but it’s ok, because I’m included in God’s Kingdom and that’s all that truly matters in this world. As Christians, we are called to live separate from the world and live differently for the God of Heaven. We are servants and we are called to live different.