Free To Thrive! Day 5--- A Willingness to be Rejected

“So they shook the dust from their feet in protest against them and went to Iconium. And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.” Act 13:51-52

Acts 13:51-52 seems strange when read outside the original context. However, an important principal resides in these two verses. A principal that helps define freedom from God’s perspective. The principal states Godly freedom willingly accepts rejection. For women, this is a hard concept to accept. We are pleasers. We love to be loved. We love to be accepted. Often, we go to great lengths to try and make everyone happy and maintain peace no matter the cost.

In Acts 13, we see the disciples of Jesus Christ taking a different approach to rejection. The disciples learned early in their ministry that living for the Name of Jesus Christ would produce rejection. The disciples embraced this truth and as a result experienced the freedom to be rejected.

We see this freedom first hand in the account of Acts 13. Paul and Barnabas set out on their first missionary journey. They traveled to a place called Pisidian Antioch. Once there, Paul and Barnabas spoke in the Jewish Synagogue. Paul shared God’s story of redemption tracing the story from the time of Israel’s slavery in Egypt to the time of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. Initially, Paul and Barnabas received acceptance; and they were invited to speak the following week. The next week the entire town arrived to hear the message Paul brought. The Jewish leaders became enraged with jealousy. Paul and Barnabas turned to the Gentiles and shared the gospel message. Many Gentiles believed. In the end, Paul and Barnabas were persecuted and expelled from the region.

If you are wondering how Paul and Barnabas handled this rejection, read today’s focal passage. Paul and Barnabas shook the dust from their feet and headed to the next town with joy in their hearts. How could the disciples respond to rejection in this way? Paul and Barnabas recognized the rejection was not personal. The Jewish leaders were not rejecting Paul and Barnabas. They were rejecting Christ.

Freedom came in Paul and Barnabas’ lives when they embraced the truth that following Jesus would cost them. It would cost them their reputation. It would cost them their comfort. And in the end, it would cost them their lives. Although the cost was great, the reward was even greater. The reward became freedom on this earth to live a radical life for Jesus Christ no matter what!

Today, do you need to hear that it is okay to be rejected for Jesus’ sake? If so, look to God’s Word and allow His Word to set you free. You can be rejected and still thrive. You can shake the dust off your feet and move on to the next stage in your life. You can experience rejection and still have a heart that is filled with joy and the Holy Spirit. The choice you face is this--- will you accept the rejection that comes from living for Jesus Christ or will you give in to the voices around you telling you to live for this world? May I encourage you to experience a little rejection? Then, shake the dust off your feet and move on!

Questions---
What scares you most about rejection?
Are you willing to risk rejection for the cause of Christ?