Show Notes
READ: ISAIAH 53:3-4; EPHESIANS 1:3-7; 1 PETER 2:4
When my parents divorced, I moved to a brand-new town at the beginning of fourth grade. After feeling rejected by a parent and leaving my hometown where all my old friends were, it felt good when I made three friends at my new school. But suddenly, one day, none of them wanted to play with me anymore. They didn’t want to be my friends. For about a month or so, they intentionally ignored and made fun of me. I felt rejection—again.
It hurt to be rejected like that. I was new to the area, and I’d thought these were my only real friends. Since then, I’ve learned that when we face rejection, it helps to remember three things:
1. Jesus experienced rejection too. You are not alone. Jesus knows. Jesus has gone through the pain and the heartache. He was betrayed by a close friend— and then disowned by a friend who was even closer. His disciples completely abandoned Him in His most painful hour. Jesus can relate to us. He’s been there before. He has felt our sadness. And that’s the next point.
2. It’s okay to be sad. Sometimes we think that sadness is a sign of weakness. But we read in Isaiah 53 that Jesus was “a man of sorrows.” He knows our hurt and pain. He experienced deep sadness, and He wept. It’s okay to be sad and acknowledge hurt. It’s healthy to cry and feel the full weight of our pain, knowing that Jesus won’t let it break us. And that’s the third point.
3. We are not crushed. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus to save us, why don’t we break? Because we’ve been chosen by the all-powerful God, the one who created everything! So even if the whole world rejects us, it won’t crush us, because God will never reject us. His Spirit lives in us, sustaining us through heartache and reminding us of God’s unfailing love (2 Corinthians 4:8-10).
So whenever we’re rejected, we can run to Jesus, remembering that He knows our pain, and it’s okay to be sad. Rejection cannot crush us, because who we are in Jesus can never be taken away. • Andrew Jacob Mead
• When we face rejection, how could it be comforting to know that Jesus experienced the greatest rejection of all—and He endured it for us? (John 1:10-12)
• When we feel the pain of rejection, how could it be helpful to remember that God chose us? Consider taking a moment to talk to Him about any times you’ve been rejected. He wants to help us process these terrible experiences through prayer, Scripture, tears, and conversations with trusted Christians in our lives who can show us the compassionate love of Jesus.
Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. Ephesians 1:4 (NLT)
More from Unlocked: Daily Devotions for Teens
READ: MATTHEW 6:19-21; JOHN 3:16-17; 14:1-4; REVELATION 19:6-9; 21:1-5
READ: PSALM 139:1-4; ROMANS 5:6-8; 2 CORINTHIANS 5:17 We curate the caption and crop the distraction, Chasing the applause of a virtual reaction. We polish the exterior to hide the interior, Afraid that our true selves are somehow inferior. But in the quiet, when the screen goes black, We feel the heavy weight of the perfection we lack. See, Jesus didn’t come for your highlight reel, He came for the brokenness you try to conceal. No filter could cover the crimson cost of sin, So He opened His arms to let the rebels in. On the cross, He was exposed, stripped, and bruised, So the real you would never have to be refused. He was buried in the dark so you could walk in the light, Tearing the veil to make your future bright. The grave couldn’t hold Him, the stone rolled away, Giving you mercy that is new every day. You are not a brand, a post, or a trend, You are chosen, beloved, and called His friend. So drop the performance, let the pretense cease, And rest in the rhythm of His perfect peace. • Ty Scott King • Why do you think it’s sometimes easier to show people a curated version of ourselves rather than who we really are? What parts of yourself do you try to curate, edit, and hide away? • Jesus sees the unedited version of you, and He loves you so much that He died and rose again for you. How could this truth affect the way yo view your mistakes, flaws, or things you just don’t like about yourself? • Are there any areas of your life where you feel like you’re putting on a performance instead of trusting God’s grace? Consider spending some time in prayer, laying these things down at Jesus’s feet and asking Him to help you see yourself the way He sees you. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:10 (NLT)