"7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair, 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;"
2 Corinthians 4:7-9 ESV
How's that rejection going? Ever felt rejected? If you are like me you can say in the affirmative, absolutely!
Today we have a guest whom I love to quote often in my sermons. A minister who is a minister to ministers, Dr. Chuck Swindoll.
The following is from an email I receive on a monthly basis that Chuck writes, specifically to pastor's entitled "The Pastor's Soul, Role, and Home."
Dealing with Rejection
If you enjoy watching and playing the game of football (I certainly do), you have observed a curious activity called a “spike.” It’s rather unusual. A team fights its way toward the goal line yard by yard. Minutes seem like hours as the offensive team plods along and presses on. Suddenly, it happens. A play works beautifully, and streaking to the long-awaited touchdown is a muscular running back or some fleet-footed wide receiver. Six points! But as soon as he crosses the line, this athlete takes the ball and slams the little thing to the ground. With all his might! The guy doesn’t so much as say, “Thanks, ball.”
I’ve thought, What if that ball had feeling? What if it could talk? Can you imagine how it would react after being spiked? It had done its job well. Stayed inflated. Didn’t jump out of the player’s arms—no fumble. And after all that, all the thanks it gets is a vicious spike. Talk about rejection!
So it is with the child of God. We do what is right . . . and we get tossed aside. Sometimes, “spiked” viciously. It hurts.
I urge you to listen up! Every once in a while we are going to get kicked. Now, this doesn’t mean God has abandoned us or that we are out of His will. It just means people are people, sheep are sheep. It’s all part of the humbling process God uses in shaping our lives “to bear the family likeness of His Son” (Romans 8:29 Phillips).
“Struck down”—as Paul puts it in 2 Corinthians 4:9—it’s the idea of being thrown down, shoved aside, or cast off. This explains why J. B. Phillips paraphrases it, “we may be knocked down.” Amazing thing! Even though we may faithfully and consistently do our job, help and serve and give to others, we can expect, on occasion, to be thrown aside and rejected . . . knocked down. Let’s don’t be caught off guard.
—Chuck
Blessings on your Journey,
2 Corinthians 4:7-9 ESV
How's that rejection going? Ever felt rejected? If you are like me you can say in the affirmative, absolutely!
Today we have a guest whom I love to quote often in my sermons. A minister who is a minister to ministers, Dr. Chuck Swindoll.
The following is from an email I receive on a monthly basis that Chuck writes, specifically to pastor's entitled "The Pastor's Soul, Role, and Home."
Dealing with Rejection
If you enjoy watching and playing the game of football (I certainly do), you have observed a curious activity called a “spike.” It’s rather unusual. A team fights its way toward the goal line yard by yard. Minutes seem like hours as the offensive team plods along and presses on. Suddenly, it happens. A play works beautifully, and streaking to the long-awaited touchdown is a muscular running back or some fleet-footed wide receiver. Six points! But as soon as he crosses the line, this athlete takes the ball and slams the little thing to the ground. With all his might! The guy doesn’t so much as say, “Thanks, ball.”
I’ve thought, What if that ball had feeling? What if it could talk? Can you imagine how it would react after being spiked? It had done its job well. Stayed inflated. Didn’t jump out of the player’s arms—no fumble. And after all that, all the thanks it gets is a vicious spike. Talk about rejection!
So it is with the child of God. We do what is right . . . and we get tossed aside. Sometimes, “spiked” viciously. It hurts.
I urge you to listen up! Every once in a while we are going to get kicked. Now, this doesn’t mean God has abandoned us or that we are out of His will. It just means people are people, sheep are sheep. It’s all part of the humbling process God uses in shaping our lives “to bear the family likeness of His Son” (Romans 8:29 Phillips).
“Struck down”—as Paul puts it in 2 Corinthians 4:9—it’s the idea of being thrown down, shoved aside, or cast off. This explains why J. B. Phillips paraphrases it, “we may be knocked down.” Amazing thing! Even though we may faithfully and consistently do our job, help and serve and give to others, we can expect, on occasion, to be thrown aside and rejected . . . knocked down. Let’s don’t be caught off guard.
—Chuck
Blessings on your Journey,
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