"Church just wanted my money and volunteer hours—I was used, not loved."
How it sounds in your head: Every visit from leadership came with an ask. Every call was about filling a slot or increasing my giving. Now that I'm old and have less to offer, where are they?
"And I will give you shepherds according to My heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding."
-- Jeremiah 3:15Source: Religious system that values function over relationship, mixed with enemy's accusation that you're only valuable for what you produce.
The pattern is undeniable—contact increased when needs arose and decreased when he couldn't serve. The transactional nature of the relationship is documented.
Mephibosheth was crippled in both feet, hiding in Lo Debar (literally 'place of no pasture'), assuming he had nothing to offer the kingdom. David searched for him NOT for what he could do but because of covenant with Jonathan, restoring everything and seating him at the king's table—permanently.
I REFUSE the lie that my value is in my function or that I was merely used. IT IS WRITTEN that God will give me shepherds according to HIS heart, and bad shepherds don't define my Father's love. I am the righteousness of God in Christ—chosen before I could produce anything, loved because of WHO I AM, not what I do. The BARAK blessing is mine not because I volunteered enough but because I'm Abraham's seed through Christ. IT IS WRITTEN that I am seated at the King's table, and my position isn't performance-based. I declare my worth is INFINITE because I'm connected to the VINE.
Your Father sees every time you were treated as a resource instead of a son, and He's FURIOUS at shepherds who used instead of fed. He's running toward you saying what He said to Mephibosheth: 'You belong at My table NOT because of what you can do but because of COVENANT—and that seat is permanent.'