4 As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him—
Rejection is part of life in this world dominated by sin and sin’s results. One of the great rejections of my life was not being chosen to come on Active Duty as a chaplain in the U.S. Army back in 1992 & 1993. I had completed Seminary and I thought I had done everything that God had called me to do in order to be ready to serve Him in the military. I went through the process of applying and was not accepted. Or to say it the way it felt at that time, I was rejected! I was devastated, but I tried not to show too many people. I put on the face of a believer and pushed through. Now looking back to that time I am glad I was not accepted. The next five years of ministry changed my heart and ministry. Our children look back on those years with great fondness; some of their great childhood memories took place during that timeframe. But at the time rejection felt terrible. I can only imagine what Jesus must have felt as He was rejected by those He came to rescue. The very ones who should have know who He was turned and mocked Him and called for His execution. His closest friends ran away and left Him to face His greatest challenges alone. Have your ‘friends’ run to hide when you faced challenges? Has your spouse become more distant as you struggled? Have your prayers seemed to bounce against the ceiling and drop back in your lap? You are not alone. The feeling of rejection does not match with our position of acceptance in Christ. In Christ we are seated in heavenly places. We have a place of honor because of Jesus’ work in life and death and life again. We might experience earthly rejection, but God accepts us just the way we are. We are full of sinful warts and wrinkles, but God sees Himself in us. Are you able to see the preciousness of Christ in your life? Earthly rejections do not mean that God has rejected you. You are accepted! You are chosen and precious because of your trust in Jesus.
The Arnold Journey 