Have you ever had to deal with rejection?
Samuel
addressed all Israel:
“I have done as you asked and given you a king. Your
king is now your leader. I stand here before you—an old, gray-haired man—and my
sons serve you. I have served as your leader from the time I was a boy to this
very day.” -1 Sam 12:1-2. Samuel
had faithfully served God’s people his whole life, but the people have decided
they would rather be like other nations and have a king over them rather than
God’s prophet. Can you relate to Samuel?
__Have you loved and served your
husband for years, only to hear that he no longer loves you and wants out of
your marriage?
__Have you loved and raised
children, only to have them reject your faith, reject all you’ve taught them
to go off and live a very self-centered, selfish life without you in it?
__Have you worked hard, only to be
passed over for the promotion you thought was yours? They’re looking for young
blood, fresh ideas… etc?
__Have you ever felt
unappreciated? That all your efforts have been of no consequence?
- No one bothers to come hear the lesson you’ve worked so hard on?
- There’s only a small attendance to an event you hoped, even envisioned would be huge?
- No one notices all the efforts you applied on THEIR behalf?
- You’ve dedicated you’re entire life’s work only to hear they want something or someone else?
If you are in Christ, I’m sure you’ve
felt the pain of rejection at one time or another. And we can take heart, for
our Lord is able to identify most of all, for who has faced greater rejection
than our Lord, Jesus Christ? So, how do we overcome it? How do we keep on, or
do we give up and in, and move on?
May I speak from my past
experience? I believe the answer is found solely in gaining the “big picture”
once more! We need to remember who we are and Whose we are!!
I can’t tell you the times the
Lord has come during these times of rejection and began asking me once more, “Who
are you? And Whose are you? And who’s children are they? Who were you ultimately
serving? ….” The truth that lies in the completed picture will help all
of us get back up, forgetting what lies behind and press on to the goal and
prize that lies ahead of us if we don’t give up!
Who Are You?
Take one minute and open up to read Ephesians 1:3-14. There,
you’ll find we are:
Blessed – Chosen
– Loved – Predestined – Adopted – Redeemed - Forgiven-Lavished with grace - Included
in Christ - Sealed with the Spirit - Guaranteed an inheritance in His Kingdom
When we trusted Christ Jesus and establish a relationship
with Him, He accepts us with arms wide open, and He promised to never leave,
nor forsake us. We are loved with an everlasting love that we never earned and
can never lose! It is HIS acceptance that gives us value.
Whose Are You?
Romans chapter 8 is a good place to head, for found there we
find;
Jesus redeemed us from the curse of death, by taking it upon
Himself. To redeem is to buy back, to
accept, to choose; the complete opposite of rejection. By the power of the
gospel, we have received the “Spirit of
adoption” (Romans 8:15). That’s permanent, binding acceptance, and we know
nothing can separate us from the Father’s love (Romans 8:38-39).
Whose Children Are They?
I believe we all know the answer to this question, but here
are just a few powerful verses that remind us that ultimately He is Creator and
Sustainer of all things!
- "Behold, to the LORD your God belong heaven and the highest heavens, the earth and all that is in it.” – Deut 10:4
- “The earth is the LORD'S, and all it contains, The world, and those who dwell in it.”- Ps 24:1
- “FOR THE EARTH IS THE LORD'S, AND ALL IT CONTAINS.”- 1 Cor 10:36
Who Are You Ultimately Serving?
I believe the answer
is found in how Paul chose to describe himself throughout his letters and not
only Paul, but Timothy, James, Peter, and Jude all describe themselves as “bondservants of Christ” (Romans 1:1; Philippians
1:1; James 1:1; 2 Peter 1:1; Jude 1:1)
And also in the Old Testament many prominent men were
referred to as servants. God spoke of Abraham as His servant (Genesis 26:24; Numbers
12:7). Joshua is called the servant of the Lord (Joshua 24:29), as are David (2
Samuel 7:5) and Isaiah (Isaiah 20:3). Even the Messiah is called God’s Servant in
Isaiah 53:11.
The term bond-servant referred to
someone who voluntarily serves another.
AND in each instance, the term servant carries the idea of humble nobility. Being God’s servant is
an honorable position! As the Lord’s “bond-servant” it is our job to
serve in spite of the consequences, therefore as long as we have been faithful
to do all God has required of us we have reasons to rejoice!
What do we do when we feel that sting of rejection?
I believe Samuel got it right, “ As
for me, I will certainly not sin against the Lord
by ending my prayers for you. And I will continue to teach you what is good and
right.”- 1 Sam 12:23
We keep on keeping on! We get up
and keep praying, keep serving, keep loving others, for we know we are loved
with a love we’ll never be able to comprehend in this lifetime! What has He called you to do?
Keep at it, knowing one day you
shall hear our Lord say, “‘Well done, good and
faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler
over many things. Enter into the joy of your Lord.’- Matthew
25:21 (emphasis mine)
