Day 2579 of the 7 day Bible verse challenge.


John 1:10 NIV

Rejection comes with the territory. It's just something that we're going to face as we continue to follow Christ in a world that's focused on serving the devil. But as we discussed the other day, that isn't our problem and it's not something to be taken personally. Our mission is to follow Christ as closely and as faithfully as we possibly can, and to share His message with the world so that it can save anyone who is willing to hear it and open their hearts to His saving grace.

What's sad is that God knew that the world wouldn't choose Him. He knew that this place would reject His Son. He knew that no amount of miracles, healing, sound teaching, or anything else would break through the hardened hearts of the masses. He knew that Jesus would be rejected, despised, beaten, and killed by the sinful down here. Yet He sent Him anyway.

Christ came anyway because He loves us. He came to save as many as possible. He came to heal the ones who aren't scared to admit that they're hurting. He came to open the eyes of those who have been blinded by sin and shame. He came to open our ears to something other than the lies of wickedness. He came to raise us from the dead that we'd always known. He came to save us simply because we couldn't save ourselves, and He didn't want that fact to keep us from an eternity of peace with Him in Heaven.

So rejection is nothing new. But it's also nothing that we should worry about. Our reward isn't fame or fortune. It's not about a massive number of followers who hang on our every word. Our prize isn't being loved, accepted, applauded, or praised by a bunch of people who are lost and okay staying there. But if we worry about things like praise and popularity, if we focus too much on the sting of being rejected for being different, if we allow this world to dictate the message we share, then we're only servants of the wickedness that this place has chosen to worship.

Friends, our task is to be the light in a dark world. It's to share the truth in a place that highly prefers lies. It's to call attention to evil so that it doesn't retain this power to hold our brothers and sisters in bondage anymore. It's to open people's eyes to the reality of who we've been and what's been done for us even though we don't deserve it. Our duty here is to point to Christ unafraid and unashamed because He is the gate that leads to Heaven, and it's a narrow gate indeed!

Our reward for fulfilling that duty is in the gift of adoption. We get to become sons and daughters of our Father in Heaven. We get to walk tall knowing that we're a part of something bigger than this world chooses to understand. We get to spend our time here courageously fighting the good fight in the midst of horde who have rolled over and accepted defeat. We get the indescribable peace of knowing where we're headed when this is all said and done, and that our rest there will be sweet and will be forever.

So please don't live to gain something in this world. Live to be rejected here. Live to be disdained by the sinful. Live to be cast aside, to be labeled, to be hated, to be persecuted. Live to know that you have been made new by the blood of Jesus and have been redeemed into His family. Not because it's easy or because it's what we innately desire. But because this is all an opportunity to serve Christ and earn the chance to hear Him say well done.

Just remember that when the world rejects you, it rejected our Savior as well. When it hates you, it hated Him too. When you feel alone, He felt the same. When you feel betrayed, you're in amazing company. We're not here to be part of this world or how it works anymore. Jesus came to buy us back from the devil so that we could be His children carrying a message that will save everyone who hears it, listens to its truth, and is changed by its power. Never settle for anything less than being a child of the one true King!

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