AnxietySample

Have you ever been so anxious about hanging out with a new group of people or trying something new that you just avoided the situation altogether? Rejection is something that so many of us are afraid of or that makes us very anxious. We want to be liked by those around us, and we do not want to be left out. The amazing thing about Jesus is he knows exactly how that feels. Isaiah notes, “He was deposed and rejected- a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned out backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care.” Jesus was rejected by everyone— even his friends. It is understandable that this is something that causes anxiety to all of us, too. But as we read in Psalms, “The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.” If we focus so much on experiencing rejection we might lose sight of the one who was rejected the most: Jesus. Jesus loves us despite the world rejecting us, our friends rejecting us, or even a sports team or our family rejecting us. Jesus is the cornerstone of our lives, the piece that holds everything together. When you are anxious, think about the cornerstone that you have in Jesus, there with you no matter what.

Challenge: Today, when facing the possibility of rejection, stop and think about who your life is truly founded on. Ask Jesus for the courage to step into the unknown, even if rejection is ahead.