Take Up Your CrossSample

Ready for Rejection

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard statements like, “You’ll know that you’re doing God’s will because doors open for you and things get easier.” The belief is that following and obeying God will protect us from having to face too many struggles. And if struggles do come, then it must mean that we’ve walked away from God’s will in some way.

When Jesus returned from his wilderness experience, He was operating in the power of the Holy Spirit. You might logically expect that He would have been well-received at His home synagogue. Yet the way Luke describes it in Luke 4:28-29, His sermon was a disaster.

I’ve bombed in front of an audience before, but I’ve never incited an angry mob to try and kill me.

I am sure Jesus was able to sense the agitation in the crowd growing as He spoke. This was his home synagogue. I’m sure He understood their particular culture. He knew the kind of preaching that they would accept and the kind of preaching that would cause a stir. He could have chosen to pull back and take the edge off His words.

Apparently, following the will of God doesn’t make life easier, but it does give us the courage to do His will, no matter the cost. Jesus pressed forward and delivered God’s message, God’s way, and it nearly cost His life.

We will likely say things that people don’t want to hear. People may slam doors in our faces. We may lose friends, jobs, or even have an angry mob threaten to throw us off a cliff. We will face resistance, but we can have faith that God’s plans will not be thwarted.

Is fear keeping you from speaking the truth?

If fear were not a factor, how might God use you for His Kingdom?

For more help read, “It Takes Courage to Stand for the Truth of God’s Word” FamilyLife.com.