Rejection hurts. We’ve all had a taste of it. Or more. Maybe from the group that didn’t want you or the parent that left you or the spouse that walked away. Rejection wounds us and leaves us shaky and fragile and scared.
The New Testament tells us stories of rejected people who were shockingly accepted and intentionally loved by Jesus. Read about a tax collector/thief/traitor in Luke 19. See the story about a woman from a minority with a questionable past in John 4. Or the story of the woman caught in adultery John 8. In each case, Jesus did the unusual. He pushed past the surface barriers to connect and offer kindness and hope.
You have a choice today. You can wound others deeply by ignoring, avoiding, criticizing, rejecting. Or you can offer the gift of making someone feel accepted and seen and cared for.
“But, but, but....if you knew them you’d know they are bad people who do bad things.” Possibly true. However, there’s a difference between condoning or endorsing behavior and accepting/loving people. Re-read the stories. Jesus never once endorsed misbehavior. In fact, part of his gift to them was to point them in better directions.
“But, but, but....I’m not Jesus.” True. But then there’s this: “But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did” I John 2:5-6
So look past the differences and the issues today and find someone to move toward in love and acceptance.
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