The World's Rejection

Reading: “If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you. Do you remember what I told you? ‘A slave is not greater than the master.’ Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you. And if they had listened to me, they would listen to you. They will do all this to you because of me, for they have rejected the one who sent me. They would not be guilty if I had not come and spoken to them. But now they have no excuse for their sin. Anyone who hates me also hates my Father. If I hadn’t done such miraculous signs among them that no one else could do, they would not be guilty. But as it is, they have seen everything I did, yet they still hate me and my Father. This fulfills what is written in their Scriptures: ‘They hated me without cause.’ “But I will send you the Advocate—the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will testify all about me. And you must also testify about me because you have been with me from the beginning of my ministry." (John 15:18-27 NLT)
Anything we go through, any tough times, Jesus has already experienced. He's lost loved ones, he's been mocked and made fun of, he's been betrayed, tortured, and ultimately killed for what he believed in. Like the scripture says, the world would love us if we belonged to it, but our hearts belong to God and we've been called to greater things. Jesus performed miracle after miracle, and even in seeing with plain sight, people still chose to reject him. No matter how great our proof is, no matter how great we could ever teach or love, there will still be people who reject us and the words we speak. All of our actions, likes, and favorites will displease someone. But what are we more worried about: People of the world disapproving, or God? Billy Graham once said "Our society strives to avoid any possibility of offending anyone- except God." And that couldn't be more true. People fight for their beliefs, that everyone should have their say, and that we should accommodate everyone's needs. But what about God? We're too consumed with pleasing others, that it usually comes at the cost of pleasing God. Why are we so consumed with pleasing people of this world, if we are not of it? Sure, they will judge. But their judgement ends at our death, God's judgement is eternal. We will suffer here on Earth, just as Jesus did. Because what we believe does not conform to the world's standards, we will be the minority. However regardless of our position here, in God's kingdom we will be lifted to a place of highest honor.