What to do When You're Not Invited to the Party - EncouragementMama.com
Dear Encouragement Sisters,
By the time my kids entered elementary school, most of their teachers had an “everyone included” birthday party policy. If my son wanted to invite one boy to his Chuck E. Cheese party, he had to invite ALL the boys in the class.
This was quite a change from when I grew up. Kids would show up at school and hand out party invitations to a select few. Sometimes I got one and sometimes I didn’t.
Yet, every time an invitation passed me by, it stung.
It’s not so different now that we’re all grown up, is it? It still stings when an invitation passes us by.
After all, we are missing out on opportunities such as…
Ministry team involvement
Friendship gatherings
Neighborhood events
Work parties
And quite honestly, not being invited feels pretty rotten sometimes. So, what should we do when we’re not invited to the party?
We can pout. (not pretty)
We can invite ourselves. (definitely not pretty)
We can hold a grudge. (Extremely not pretty)
We can “not” invite them next time. (So not pretty)
Or…
We can view the “uninvite” as God’s divine intervention.
It may not be God’s will for people to reject us, but it is His will to cause everything to work for our good.
And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.
Think about it this way…
Maybe that uninvite for the ministry team is actually an open door for another mission. Or, maybe God is simply saying, “Not yet.”
Perhaps, that friendship circle you’d love to be part of isn’t the right fit for you. Instead, God may have other people in mind to be part of your trusted circle.
What if those neighborhood events are ones that wouldn’t be healthy for you or your family? God may be protecting you from getting involved in certain activities.
If you’re uninvited at work, it could be due to your strong witness for Jesus. Though it’s not easy being excluded because of your faith, it’s a good sign you are following after God!
Blessed are you when men hate you,
And when they exclude you,
And revile you, and cast out your name as evil,
For the Son of Man’s sake.
If you are feeling left out, please be encouraged from the outside looking in. There are more opportunities out there! Other people need what you have to offer. God’s plan for you is not bound by the invites of other people.
Please be encouraged today. What is most needed, isn’t to be included by others. It’s to be included into the family of God, by the blessed sacrifice of Jesus our Lord.
Now THAT’S an invitation!
Thank you, Encouragement Sisters, for being part of my community, my tribe, and my family. With me, you are ALWAYS invited.
P.S. Speaking of invitations, I’d like to invite you to join my Facebook group of Christian women, facing our issues together. Can’t wait to connect with you there!
