Not OkaySample

Do you remember a time when you were rejected? You might have asked someone to hang out or pitched an idea for a group project that was disregarded. You may have even done something you know you shouldn't because you were worried about being rejected by the group of people you were with. Rejection is a powerful motivator for us, and the pain we associate with rejection can be really stressful.

In today's reading, you'll hear about the time Jesus sent the disciples traveling from town to town. He told them to share a message with people and gave them really specific instructions about what they were allowed to bring with them. On top of that, he told them exactly what to do if the people in a town rejected their message. It's almost as if Jesus expected his disciples to be rejected.

We can't control how people respond to us when we start sharing who Jesus is. Some people will embrace the message, and others will reject the things we've shared. But no matter what happens to us when we go out into the world to tell others about Jesus, he always welcomes us back. Even though the rejections hurt, the disciples could look to Jesus to anchor them and remind them of how they belong. If you've been rejected recently or you're afraid of rejection in the future, you can look to Jesus to show you where you belong. When people reject you, Jesus never will.