Loving but still rejected by many?

Jesus was so loving to people around him and he also wanted the best for people and helped them.  He also held great wisdom which some bible scholars of the time felt intimidated by.  Who is this person trying to teach us of all people?  I don't think they were too impressed with Jesus' confidence and call to teach them and saw Jesus as a big threat to their egos and self importance!

Jesus was often misunderstood and rejected by many despite him tyring to help people. Have you ever felt like Jesus?  To still love people who reject us is not easy but Jesus still did it on the cross.  When Jesus was dying he shouted 'Father forgive them for they do not know what they do' - Luke 23 v24.  Jesus forgave even his killers - wow what kind of love is this?  Certainly this is divine love that cannot be equalled with earthly love.  Earthy love leans towards loving those that only love us back.  God's love should give us a picture of what we can strive to do; to love unconditionally.  May be we can ask God for wisdom as to why people may turn to hate and this may bring clarity to situations, where we are then able to bring some thought, love and opportunity to bring heaven into a situation. 

Empathy and Compassion

Jesus emphasised the importance of empathy and compassion for those who misunderstand us and reject us.  Have you ever been rejected?  It's probably one of the most hurtful things you can feel however God wants us to still love through our rejection and pain. Through it we can learn to lean into God who will never let us down and let that be our stability and confidence. If we don't we may become depressed or bitter about situations that can only lead to self harm in the end.  

Seeking Understanding

God understands you, even if others don't.  We can feel secure in knowing that God created you and understands you completely.  We can use misunderstandings by others as a learning experience.  What can I learn about God through this negative experience?  Do I need to learn to forgive others?

Inner Growth

Rather than focussing on external validation from others, it's important to focus on our relationship with God and our own personal growth in character and wisdom.  Knowing God loves us and has created us as we are, we can stand secure and use our lives to help others rather than create further barriers of hate and discord. Rom 12 v 18 - For as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.  God is saying it depends on us very much if we will forgive or not. We can't change the other person but as long as we are helping ourselves then that's all God asks of us. 

Mark 12 v 10-11 - The stone the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone (which can also be found in Psalm 118 22-23).

If Jesus was rejected by many, then he was using this to show us that we may also be rejected in life, it's inevitable at some point. How will we respond?  What will our character show when times are difficult and friends are scare?  How can we ensure we survive rejection; by knowing the one who loves us more deeply than anyone else and that's God.  We can feel completely secure in that 'All things will work together for those that love God'. Rom 8 v 28.  'God is my refuge and strength a very present help in trouble'. Psalm 46 v 1. 

The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is a divine person and is the third person in the Holy Trinity - God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. 

John 14, 16 says, I will ask the father and he will give you another helper to be with you forever.  John 15, 26-27 says, The helper is the spirit of truth.  When he comes he will tell about me too because you have been with me from the beginning. 

When Jesus was baptised the Holy Spirit descends onto him as a dove and means we can also receive the Holy Spirit and follow Jesus' example after baptism. The Holy Spirit will start to produce changes in us like giving us more of the fruits of the spirit such as, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. If you are new to faith you may have already noticed that you are changing for the better. 

Gal, 5 v 16 - So I say walk by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.  The flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh.  They are in conflict with each other so you are not to do whatever you want. But you are led by the Spirit not under the law. v 25, Since we are led by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

Through the Spirit of God we are gradually changing to be more like God. Wow isn't that amazing!  We can receive the Holy Spirit through asking for it in prayer and reading God's word and building a personal relationship with Jesus through faith.  We may receive the Holy Spirit in many different ways and there are 9 gifts of the spirit, these being, wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophesy, discernment, speaking in tongues and interpretation of tongues. 

Some people may receive some of these gifts but not necessarily all. I've seen a lot of people get hung up on receiving gifts, however I believe we should focus on working on the fruit of the spirit first then see what God will do. The purpose of all these gifts are to reveal truth about God's Kingdom either for individuals or a collective and they are not to be abused for own personal gain or power.  

Don't feel discouraged when you don't see your gifts shining through. The gifts are not necessarily loud and obvious. The gifts sometimes are given without us realising it and one day you may be chatting to someone and a word of wisdom may come out of your mouth exactly at the time the person needed to hear it, you may begin to understand the bible a lot more than you used to and a verse or passage may suddenly become illuminated to you (knowledge), you may pray for someone and they become well again, you may understand a situation before anyone else (discernment).  You may feel a strong sense you have a word from God for someone through divine intervention (prophesy), you may begin to develop a prayer language (tongues) and you may gain understanding as to what that language was meaning (interpretation of tongues). 

We are told that it is difficult for persons not of faith to understand the Holy Spirit because these gifts are not operated necessarily by knowledge, rationale or intellect but come from our spiritual minds and hearts which are opened through the decision of faith in Jesus Christ. So to receive these gifts, do not rely on your own strength and abilities (as we usually do in the world), it will only happen through God working through you by the Spirit.  God's spirit is often gentle and quiet like a dove.  When we live right it allows the dove to settle over us, when we are in sin the dove may fly away (just something for all of us to ponder on). 

1 Cor 2, 14 - The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. 

How does the Holy Spirit speak to us?  You may sense God speaking to you through quiet conviction.  We may feel led to go a certain way or to make a decision about something.  We may also receive peace about a decision we have made.  God often leads us gently without us realising it and we have to trust God even if we don't know all the answers and the reasons why.  I know personally I've had to do this many times in my own life.  I don't always know the way forward but I know someone who does and that's God.  He will never let us down when we fully commit our lives to him. 

Know your Purpose - Know your Partners

Know your Purpose

Jesus was sent to earth with a divine purpose; to love mankind and to die for mankind.  He lived with great intention and used the time ordained to him to make a difference to others. 

Whatever age, we can do the same using Jesus as our example. Knowing your purpose can help you have a clearer vision of the path God might want you to take.  You may even have laser focus on the things God wants you to pursue during your lifetime.  Our earthly lives are quite fleeting, usually having 70-90 years to live our lives 'What might your purpose be whilst living on earth, as it's never too late to find out?

If you are unsure, may be it's time to pray and God will start to reveal the types of things he wants you to achieve.  He knows who you are and what you are uniquely good at and will help direct you to what is right.  It says in the bible that God may even use your weaknesses for his glory!  2 Cor 12, 9-10 My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.  Everyone has an individual path to greatness, but are you willing to pursue that individuality and embrace who you truly are? It's no good following the crowd, following the trends or following our own paths, as God's paths requires your uniqueness to shine out.  Do you have the courage to accept who you really are and use what you have well? 

Embracing who we truly are may not always be easy because we might not like what we see or discover in the mirror.  However, God has created you just as you are with gifts and abilities that will bless so many other people.  Other people will have differing gifts to yours and that's okay; it's part of a bigger plan for everyone to work together for greater good. 

In your purpose you will find contentment and peace.  Those who know their purpose can hold great power to help others.  God doesn't waste our experiences or hurts, and what we have learnt from those can be healing for so many others going through similar experiences. 

Know your Partners

Jesus had twelve disciples that helped him on his mission and purpose.  Paul sent them out in twos to different areas to spread the gospel.  So it is with your passions, purpose, scars, weaknesses and strengths that you carry, God may send someone to come alongside you and support what you are trying to do and achieve for a greater purpose.  As Winston Churchill once said success is moving from one failure to another without loss of enthusiasm. Partners can help us find that enthusiasm when things go wrong. You may also be called to support someone else along your journey to ease their purpose and to encourage.

Often when doing divine work, we can get very discouraged through obstacles or difficulties in our path, sometimes put there intentionally to stop us moving forward with the things God wants us to do, but a good partner can encourage you to carry on again and again.  Partnering with a good church as well who can encourage and pray for you is also very important.  Paul speaks about the people trying to help him with much love and about his passion/purpose to save people:

Phil 1 3-5 Every time I think of you, I give thanks, for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ

Rom 10 v 1 My heart's desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved 

I wrote an album in 2020/21 and knowing my purpose (which one of them is music), and knowing my partners (my husband), became very apparent.  My husband mixed and mastered all of my songs whilst I produced, performed and wrote them.  We made a good team!  And may be God brought us together for such as time as this, as without each other this may not have come about. 

Do you know our purpose and partners?  When we have the combination be sure you will be able to sky rocket to new heights with purpose and strength in all that God is calling you to do. 

Fear Not

Isaiah 43 - Fear not for I have redeemed you and called you by name.

Isn't that verse amazing....that God knows us by name. What more could we really want than that?  

We are not to fear, and it's a command not to be afraid, it is an order that Jesus gives us in the bible.  Jesus said, "Let not your hearts be troubled neither let them be afraid". The phrase 'do not be afraid' and 'fear not' are some of the most frequent phrases used by Jesus. He was constantly saying it to his disciples because he knew they needed the reassurance that he was with them.  So Jesus knows that we struggle with anxiety and wants to help. 

We have control over our minds and our thinking. We often believe it is out of our control and something we cannot do, especially when we get overwhelmed with thoughts of anxiety and fear.  That is what the world might think, that we cannot control our thinking and we cannot be at peace in a restless world.  However, when we lean into Jesus, we can control our thoughts and we can choose not to dwell on the thoughts that are making us anxious and afraid.  

The verse above says, 'Don't be afraid, as I have redeemed you', that is why we should never feel afraid, because God has stepped in to redeem us.  We don't need to be afraid of the past, or for today, or the future.  God knows us by name, wow, and that can give us so much comfort.

Isaiah 43, 18 Remember not the former things, do not consider the things of old.  Behold I am doing a new thing, now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?  I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. 

We're often told in the bible to remember things, for instance, God helped the children of Israel escape out of Egypt and they remembered this by having a Passover feast. In Esther, the Lord delivered his people and they were to hold a banquet every year to remember what the Lord did for them and how he rescued them, and also we remember when we take communion, what Jesus did for us on the cross.  However, the verse above challenges to 'remember not' the former things of old'.  There are many things we should remember and other things we may be shouldn't hold onto.  We need to remember those times where God has helped us, saved us and delivered us because they encourage us, and build us up and help us not to be afraid of the future.  There are some things we should not dwell on, the bad things, the things that will take us away from God and the things we used to do that did us no good.  

The great news is, that is says in the verse 'Behold I'm doing a new thing'. God is always doing a new thing. He is full of creative ideas and wisdom for our lives.  He knows what's best for us, so why do we fear?  The verse says, 'I will make a way in the wilderness'.  We may feel we are in a wilderness and that it is large, we may feel we are right in the middle of nothing or going nowhere, we don't really know which way to go or what to do, there are no landmarks to help us move forward and we are in the middle of a desert with no hope.  But the promise here is, God says I will make a way in the wilderness!  God will lead us through that desert and will be with you every step of the way, just like he led the people of Israel. However lost and empty you feel, God will help us through this difficult time.  God hasn't left you and he will guide you, where there is nothing he will create something for you because that's what God does because he knows us by name. 

It also says, I will give you rivers in the desert.  The promise here is that even in the desert God will provide refreshment. You will find an oasis where you can feel helped and loved.  There will be sustaining and life giving water.  That water is the Holy Spirit that will guide you through the the unknown.  He promises to lead us beside still waters.  What it's really saying here is that God is the God of the impossible!  Where there is no way, there will be a way forward!

May be you feel like you drowning in all the things you've got to do and have to face.  May be you feel like you've fallen out of a boat and fighting for your life.  God is there to save you and make a way for you. God is able to give us everything we need in the place we find ourselves.  Whether it's the dry desert or the rough seas, God is with you and God is going to make a way for you, he is going to get you out of it and supply everything you need to carry on - because remember whatever we face he holds your hand and knows you by name!

God puts the lonely in families

Psalm 68 v 6 - God puts the lonely in families 

Have you ever felt alone? It's estimated that a shocking 3.1 million people feel lonely in the UK - these are the latest figures from the government for 2024.  Not having anyone to talk to can really impact our mental health. We all can relate to talking to a friend about a certain problem we might be facing, especially over a cup of tea or coffee. In some ways we can take for granted the support we have around us at any given time. Millions of people are feeling very alone. How can we combat this issue in our society? Who will stand up and help alleviate this?  I know there are many organisations helping with this but can we help in our own neighbourhoods? 

It says in the bible that Jesus loves the lonely and wants to set them in families.  What does this mean? God's family should be a family of support and love. In God's family there hopefully can be found a welcoming for all, a place of belonging and a sense of being seen and loved, with no strings attached.  There's no need to feel alone, as in God's family you are always welcomed despite your background or needs. 

What's your natural family like? I was very fortunate to have a loving, supportive family around me growing up. We could laugh together and cry together. My parents modelled what real love should look like; they modelled kindness, leadership, integrity, and love for God and people. This is something I will treasure and I don't take it for granted as I realise not everyone has had this type of support system.  Being shown and given love allows us to give love away.  It's hard to give from an empty pot. It reminds us again, that everyone needs a good role model to aspire to.  What role model can you be in your world?  

The love of God and the family of God allows us to feel loved again. God wants to fill you up with so many good things. It says in the bible our cups can be overflowing. When we are in God's family and know how much God loves us, we have more than enough!  Meaning we will have more than enough for ourselves and an abundance to give to others. We can be love conduits to others who may need it. What a gift to give!  

Even if we don't have close relationships in our families. Jesus says that he will be a friend to us, no matter our background and circumstance he loves you.  It's says in: 

Prov 18 v 24

There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. 

Peter was one of Jesus' closest friends. However, even Peter let Jesus down when he denied even knowing him! He feared for his own life and tried to forget his friend. How did it make Jesus feel? Yes we may be let down by friends or even family, but God never lets us down. Through every circumstance we can rely on his love and support to sustain us. 

God wants to set us in families and communities of others who we can relate to and build relationships with, either through the church and others we may meet so we can find belonging and purpose. Through God's spirit we can connect with people in a far deeper way. We are able to pray for each other through our darkest moments and laugh together in our joys and triumphs. A community of warmth and belonging is close to God's heart. His love for you is so vast and he wants you to know that you are such a treasure. 

Peace and Rest

John 14 v 27 - Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you.  I don't give as the world gives.  Do not be troubled and do not be afraid. 

When we search for inner peace we often look in the wrong places.  May be thinking, if we only had more money we would have peace, if I could just find that perfect relationship, or job then I'd find peace.  May be if we didn't worry so much about everything, then we'd find perfect peace.  When we really think about it, what things on earth can truly give us peace? Is there anything that can be found that is really lasting? 

What was the last thing you worried about?  How did you cope with it?  What can you do to alleviate that worry?  Did you try and cope on your own or did you commit that thing to God?  Worry is mentioned over 300 times in the bible, so I think God understands it's a human response that is sometimes difficult for us to overcome. It says in the bible that God gives us peace that will last. 

True peace isn't about re-organising our external world but flows from knowing God who is the Prince of Peace.  His unmerited favour and love upon us can give us peace that will last.  God loves us no matter what and wants to help. 

Romans 5 v 1 - Therefore since we have been justified by faith, we can have peace with God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

Knowing God can bring us peace and knowing also that as he goes with us then we know we have absolutely nothing to fear.  There is nothing we need worry about with God by our side.  The stability it brings can give us confidence for a bright future. 

We can fully rest in this, that God knows and understands us.  He will calm our stormy waters when the rain and wind comes.  It says in the bible, he will never leave you or forsake you.  When you are feeling burdened give these to God and he will give you rest.  

Exodus 35 v 14 - My presence will go with you and I will give you rest. 

Luke 12 v 25 - Who of you by worrying can add a singe hour to your life? 

Matt 11 v 28 - Come to me all who are burdened and I will give you rest. 

We lack nothing

Psalm - 23 v 1 - The Lord is my shepherd I lack nothing.  

Psalm 138 v 8 God will fulfil his purpose for me 

We often compare ourselves to others and see their happiness and successes without realising or celebrating our own. We often focus on what we don't have, rather on what we do have and what God has blessed us with.  

I distinctly remember giving up work for a while whilst I had very young children.  I remember at the time feeling frustrated because I missed working. I was seeing everyone else's successes whilst mine seem to be ever in the distance. However, I soon realised what a privilege it was to spend some time with the children whilst they were young. I wasn't ever going to get the time back again with them. I needed to celebrate my own journey and successes not look at everyone else's around me.  During that time though I was able  to speak to many people, as I met so many other mums at different groups and socials.  God was always there - still working out his purposes for me.  

It gave me opportunity as well to work for church for a short period of time, where I continued with my worship leading and music which I'd been involved in for over 25 years. Then as my daughter was about to start infant school, I prayed that God would find me another job I could fit around the children's school runs as not many jobs really offered that flexibility. Again, God was there working it all out for me before I even prayed!  Or may be he knew I'd prayed that already, and had been working it out behind the scenes, as God already knows the future!  To my amazement, I got a job in a school as a Music Teacher. It wasn't something I sought out to do, but I can only really explain it as an absolute miracle from heaven! God was there working it all out in order to use my gifts and talents further. 

We often have more than enough to accomplish God's purposes in our lives. Yes sometimes we may lack confidence (I certainly did) but God wants us to trust him to allow him to work in whatever season we are in. God doesn't want us to just see others' successes as something special but he wants you to know that you are also special and bring many gifts and abilities into the world for people to benefit from. 

God wants you to discover your own box of talent as a way to serve others.  We can pick up new skills or even old projects and renew them.  Let God speak to you so you are able to discover your talents.  May be you could find a trusted friend or relative who may be able to encourage you.

Whatever age, God has provided everything we need to start on our journey of faith to carry out his will for our lives and we lack nothing! God can help us learn what skills we can develop to help other people.  Don't waste time procrastinating or feeling regret for wasted opportunities because it's never too late to start. Your talents, skills, personality, abilities and love are needed by so many, so be encouraged and don't give up. 

Proverbs 19 v 21 - Many are the plans in a person's heart.  But the Lord's purpose will prevail.