"But you are the ones chosen by
God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people,
God's instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the
night-and-day difference he made for you - from nothing to something,
from rejected to accepted." (1 Peter 2:9-10 The Message)
Have you ever experienced rejection? If you haven't,
you must be from outer space, as even the Creator of the world experienced utter
rejection the moment He was born.
Having a wonderful family is nice, but can you
honestly say that you are unconditionally accepted at home? Or have you heard
whisperings behind your back and seen finger waging?
Adam's family had its troubles, with one brother
killing another. Jacob's family was far from ideal, with all of Joseph's
brothers jumping at the occasion to sell him off as a slave to an Egyptian
overlord. Even Jesus' family was far from ideal, as his brothers and sisters
openly criticized him: "When his family heard about this, they went to take
charge of him, for they said, 'He is out of his mind.'" (Mark 3:21 NIV)
What about your friends, your spouse, your children,
your boss...?
I know an elderly lady who experienced rejection ever
since she was a child. She was neglected by her own dad who had no time for her,
as both of his mistresses required too much of his attention. All she needed was
some time with her dad, a tiny wish that was never fulfilled.
When she grew up into a beautiful woman and married
the guy of her dreams, she decided that none of her kids would ever experience
rejection. She put her heart into this matter. Her marriage was not the best, as
there was constant fighting, but at least she had her kids. Or so she thought.
One day to her horror, one of her sons, now forty
years old, ended up in prison. She did everything in her power to find a way to
release him, even found the best lawyer in the country. She was eventually
successful and he was released into her custody. Oh, the happy days were back!
She pampered him, spoiled him, did anything to brighten his life. But her son
didn't return her affection. In fact, the more she did for him, the more he
hated her. Eventually he succeeded in having access to her funds, and he spent
all of her retirement savings. He ended up in prison again.
During this time dedicated to indulging this son she
loved, this poor lady distanced herself from family and friends. Sadly, she
never experienced acceptance.
How different this is with God. He accepts us
unconditionally! No questions asked. It doesn't matter what we did in the past.
The moment we turn to Him, He accepts us with open arms. Not only this, but He
adopts us into His family and treats us as princes and princesses from on high!
"I'll be a Father to you; you'll be sons and daughters to me." (2 Cor 6:18 The
Message)
There's truly "no condemnation for those who are in
Christ Jesus." (Rom 8:1 NIV) Why wait? Why linger in rejection and
non-acceptance? It won't get any better! Come to the One who will not only
accept us unconditionally, but lead us to utter victory instead! Get to know
Him, and when you do, you will discover a truly forever friend and trust will
become a strong bond between the
two of you.
Rejection can really become a thing from the past!
Rob Chaffart
The Illustrator: This daily newsletter is dedicated to encouraging
everyone to look towards Jesus as the source of all the solutions to our
problems. It contains a daily inspirational story, a Bible verse and encouraging
messages. HTML and plain text versions available.
The Nugget: Published three times a week, this newsletter features inspirational devotionals and mini-sermons dedicated to drawing mankind closer to each other and to Christ.