Rejected On Earth -- Accepted In Heaven

Here's a challenging thought -- faithfulness will involve rejection and pain.

As the Apostle Paul bowed down to God’s opinion, his life included rough and persecuted days. In addition to the desertion noted in Galatians 1 were regular episodes of inconvenience and pain.

The most famous litany is in 2 Corinthians 11:24ff – “I've been flogged five times with…thirty-nine lashes” – Paul recounts. “Beaten by…rods three times -- pummeled with rocks once. I've been shipwrecked three times -- and immersed in the open sea for a night and a day…I’ve had to ford rivers -- fend off robbers -- struggle with friends -- struggle with foes…I've known drudgery and hard labor…long and lonely [nights]…blasted by…cold -- [and] naked to the weather. And that's not the half of it… [why on top of it all -- I’ve had to deal with]…[all the]…anxieties – [from] all the churches! (2 Corinthians 11:24-28, The Message).

And you thought pleasing God was a ‘cake walk.’ No -- it’s a cross-walk – as in the cross of Christ – that yes -- results in light, grace and love – but requires a journey – of challenge – difficulty – and even rejection.

Now rejection is especially dicey. I mean we all have flashbacks don’t we – to moments – when we were cast aside. For me it happened in 11th grade with the first love of my life: Lisa Smith (not her real name, but close!). I mean I did everything I could to please Lisa: I parted my hair on the other side – I put on cologne – I pretended to like roller-skating – I even ate fried egg sandwiches (I hate fried egg sandwiches!!). But in spite of it all – Lisa still rejected me; can you imagine – Lisa rejected me? I mean she wrote in my high school yearbook we weren’t meant for each other – because we were different! Well I went ballistic; how dare anyone reject me, for any reason! But eventually it dawned on me: if you’re going to be rejected – that’s the reason to be rejected: because you’re different.

I’m curious: are you different? To be precise: are you different, because of Jesus? We all want to be accepted and loved – but we must not seek acceptance and love at any cost. As Christ-followers we are different – and sometimes that difference – means we will be bypassed – even rejected.

G. Campbell Morgan tells of a moment when he was brutally rejected. Writing in his diary, he wrote: “Very dark everything seems…” But then came, other words: “Still [God] knoweth best. Rejected on earth. Accepted…in heaven!” G. Campbell Morgan