WFW: Loved, Not Rejected
I have a little Maltese dog named Little Bear, or as we affectionately call him, LB. He is a rambunctious little guy, possessing a very different personality than my other dogs. Can't you just see that spunkiness in his eyes?
Everyone in my family has their favorite dog (though we love them all), but only me and one other family member favor LB. I love that little guy!! I'm always telling him what a pretty boy he is and petting him. I want to make sure that he knows that he's loved... I think he knows that by now; here he is giving me a hug.
This paints such an interesting picture spiritually. Each of us possesses a different personality. Some of us possess personalities that many people can't identify with, while others are completely outgoing and connect with people. Yet, no matter who we are, God loves us. The world might have said, "That person is useless." The world is constantly trying to make us conform to certain viewpoints and certain images -- we should do this, be that, believe this, etc. If we don't conform, the world will reject us. Let me tell you, if you're struggling with peer-pressure like this, don't EVER let the world dictate who you become! The Bible says, "Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity against God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world, makes himself an enemy of God." (James 4:) We want to be on God's side! He never forces us to conform to His standards; He just lays out the plan and gives us the choice of following Him or not. And you WANT to follow Him when you learn that He sees past all the scars to what you can be - a useful vessel to the Master. "But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence." (1 Corinthians 1:27-29) God chose you even when you were weak from all the injuries inflicted upon you by the world -- the rejections of "not good enough" or what-have-you -- so that He could show Himself mighty in you. He LOVES every one of us, even when the world rejects us - He IS love, perfect love. If you've never known love, turn to God, the source of true love. God doesn't look at the outward appearance; He looks at our hearts. We may only see scars and imperfections, but He sees a beautiful, beautiful person. I've been to a few rummage sales, and one thing that I've noticed is that you might find something of value if you look hard enough, and sometimes that thing may be filthy - it might need a good cleaning before that beauty will manifest. Likewise, God sees a treasure when He looks at you, no matter how battered and bruised you may be; He takes you home and cleans you up till your beauty shines. In fact, God not only calls you his child, but He also calls you His jewel: "'They shall be Mine,' says the LORD of hosts, 'On the day that I make them My jewels....'" (Malachi 3:17)
The interesting thing about all of this is that Jesus knows what it feels like to be rejected; the whole WORLD rejected Him and nailed Him to a cross. He felt so rejected that He cried out, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" Yet, the Bible says that "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:6) He died so that we could be free from the bruises and scars, so that we wouldn't have to endure the cross -- He took our place. He was rejected so that we wouldn't have to be; God forsook His only Son at that moment in time so that we would never have to be forsaken -- "For He Himself has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you'; so that we may boldly say, 'The Lord is my Helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?'" (Hebrews 13:5-6) Jesus did this just for you, just for me, because of His great love. When you are with Him, you are never rejected; YOU ARE LOVED! "The LORD has appeared of old to me, saying: 'Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.'" (Jeremiah 31:3)
"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised..." (Luke 4:18)
Everyone in my family has their favorite dog (though we love them all), but only me and one other family member favor LB. I love that little guy!! I'm always telling him what a pretty boy he is and petting him. I want to make sure that he knows that he's loved... I think he knows that by now; here he is giving me a hug.
This paints such an interesting picture spiritually. Each of us possesses a different personality. Some of us possess personalities that many people can't identify with, while others are completely outgoing and connect with people. Yet, no matter who we are, God loves us. The world might have said, "That person is useless." The world is constantly trying to make us conform to certain viewpoints and certain images -- we should do this, be that, believe this, etc. If we don't conform, the world will reject us. Let me tell you, if you're struggling with peer-pressure like this, don't EVER let the world dictate who you become! The Bible says, "Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity against God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world, makes himself an enemy of God." (James 4:) We want to be on God's side! He never forces us to conform to His standards; He just lays out the plan and gives us the choice of following Him or not. And you WANT to follow Him when you learn that He sees past all the scars to what you can be - a useful vessel to the Master. "But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence." (1 Corinthians 1:27-29) God chose you even when you were weak from all the injuries inflicted upon you by the world -- the rejections of "not good enough" or what-have-you -- so that He could show Himself mighty in you. He LOVES every one of us, even when the world rejects us - He IS love, perfect love. If you've never known love, turn to God, the source of true love. God doesn't look at the outward appearance; He looks at our hearts. We may only see scars and imperfections, but He sees a beautiful, beautiful person. I've been to a few rummage sales, and one thing that I've noticed is that you might find something of value if you look hard enough, and sometimes that thing may be filthy - it might need a good cleaning before that beauty will manifest. Likewise, God sees a treasure when He looks at you, no matter how battered and bruised you may be; He takes you home and cleans you up till your beauty shines. In fact, God not only calls you his child, but He also calls you His jewel: "'They shall be Mine,' says the LORD of hosts, 'On the day that I make them My jewels....'" (Malachi 3:17)
The interesting thing about all of this is that Jesus knows what it feels like to be rejected; the whole WORLD rejected Him and nailed Him to a cross. He felt so rejected that He cried out, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" Yet, the Bible says that "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:6) He died so that we could be free from the bruises and scars, so that we wouldn't have to endure the cross -- He took our place. He was rejected so that we wouldn't have to be; God forsook His only Son at that moment in time so that we would never have to be forsaken -- "For He Himself has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you'; so that we may boldly say, 'The Lord is my Helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?'" (Hebrews 13:5-6) Jesus did this just for you, just for me, because of His great love. When you are with Him, you are never rejected; YOU ARE LOVED! "The LORD has appeared of old to me, saying: 'Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.'" (Jeremiah 31:3)
"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised..." (Luke 4:18)
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