Then He looked at them and said, “What then is this that is written: ‘The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone’?” Luke 20:17 (NKJV)
No one likes rejection. Unfortunately, it’s a part of life. Diligent employees get passed over for promotions. Husbands leave loyal wives. The list goes on.
In high school, I was never good at team sports. So gym was my least favorite subject—especially basketball. I remember one day in my gym class, it came time to choose players for the basketball game, and fear and panic overcame me. Everyone knew I wasn’t good. Girl after girl ran giddily over to their respective teams, until all eyes were on me as I stood awkwardly next to another outcast. The captain picked the other outcast. As the song goes, “the cheese stands alone.” I wanted to be accepted by my teammates, but I knew that wouldn’t happen. They didn’t expect much from me.
Religious leaders of Jesus’s day didn’t expect much of Him either. After all, He was just a quiet carpenter. Mary and Joseph’s boy. The guy from Galilee. What they didn’t know was that the quiet carpenter was the Messiah who was to come. Israel had waited with bated breath for the Savior who was to come. Then when He was finally revealed, many of the people turned away. Those leaders of the day would not accept this humble, unassuming carpenter as the Messiah that God promised. Jesus knew He wasn’t wanted, but He persisted with the redeeming message of the cross. He did the will of His Father and triumphed over His detractors. I’ve continued to deal with rejection, but I’ve learned from Jesus to keep moving forward in faith. And that philosophy has made all the difference.
FAITH STEP: Use Jesus as your perfect example to move forward in faith. Shake off the notion that you are not good enough. You are always more than enough in His eyes.
