I have heavy abandonment issues. I'm constantly paranoid people are going to leave me because so many people have done that in my life. So many people just "put up" with me. People have seen me as projects to be fixed and when they couldn't, they left me.
One friend left Christianity recently because of all the hypocrisy in the Church. Unfortunately, this happens far more often than it should. While no one is perfect, the Church should be a place where people feel safe. Not safe in their sin, but safe that they're not going to be judged or condemned or stuff like that. A place they can really feel/see the love and grace of God. My heart breaks for this friend so much.
For those of you who have been abandoned and rejected, I want you to know that no matter how much people have done this to you, God never will abandon or reject you (no matter how many Christians may have done so). Here are the words of Jesus:
John 6:37
"However, those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them."
Jesus DOES NOT reject you! No matter what you've done. No matter what you've said. No matter even what you've thought! He will NEVER reject you.
Hebrews 13:5
..."I will never fail you, I will never abandon you."
Jesus will NEVER abandon you. Even if people have abandoned or rejected you, He NEVER will!
If the Church has abandoned or rejected you, on behalf of most of us in the Church, I'm sorry. This should've never happened and I'm sorry. The Church should be a place where people show you the love of God, and I'm sorry many times we don't. But no matter what has happened to you in the Church, I want you to remember this: the Church is not perfect, just as you're not perfect. We're going to screw up sometimes, just like you will. Don't judge Jesus on how people have treated you, judge Him by how He treats others. I know this is something I have struggled a lot throughout my life. I have been abandoned and rejected so much by people I really cared about, that I put that on God. I thought the way He saw me was the same way other people saw me. I'm here to tell you though: He DOES NOT see you the way others see you. He sees you as His beloved child who sometimes wanders away from Him, but He ALWAYS goes back to you when you need Him most. It doesn't always seem like He's there, often times it feels like we're all alone; but we're not. You want to know how He treats people? Look in His Word. I recommend going through the Gospels (which means Good News): Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (out of all of them, I recommend John). This is how you know He loves you, that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8) He DIED for you! People ask (and I have as well) why did Jesus die for us? Even the people mocking Him said "He's saved others, why can't he save himself? Let him come down from that cross and we'll all believe!" He could've done that. If He could raise people from the dead, He could EASILY get down from the cross. But do you know what kept Him on there? Love. He stayed on there so He could save YOU and ME! If He got down, sure some people would've believed, and others would've still said He was a demon; but the real reason He stayed was that if He got down, He couldn't take our punishment for us, and if that happened, we'd all still be damned. He stayed because He loves us SO much!
If you're really struggling with this, don't be afraid, because many Christians struggle with it too - including myself. But please, judge Jesus on Jesus, not by how we have treated you. We are to represent Him, but we are imperfect representations of Him. Look at Him for who He is. Look at Him for what He's done, not what we have done. If there's only one thing you get out of all my blogs I want you to get this: He LOVES YOU more than you can even imagine! More than you'll EVER know! He loves YOU! No matter what, He will ALWAYS love YOU.
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