Loving And Embracing The Rejected Ones
You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. -John 15:16
“For I, the Lord, love justice; I hate robbery and wrongdoing. In my faithfulness I will reward my people and make an everlasting covenant with them. -Isaiah 61:8
A Sexualized Culture
When I was young, I loved movies like “You’ve got mail”, “Clueless”, and “The Princess bride”. Like many other young girls, I dreamt of having my own love story someday. This is very common, but the stark reality I’ve found is that our enemy, through today’s culture, is doing what he can to darken these innocent dreams. For example, the media has taken to sexualizing everything from popular movies to greeting cards in the grocery stores.
Do Our Friends Fear Our Judgmental Words?
A few years ago, a friend came out to me about her work in the porn industry. She ended our friendship soon afterward for fear that I’d treat her poorly or judge and condemn her like so many had already done. Now, it is not wrong for us to make objective judgements about harmful and potentially dangerous life choices, but I believe that He has called me to love – not simply pass judgments and cast aside others who have sinned, maybe differently than I have. But, why does that make them any less worthy of love than I am? Jesus was without sin, yet He lovingly fellowshipped with tax collectors and sinners. My friend, who knew that I believed in God, had long since turned away from the Christian faith she’d been raised in. She pushed me away because she believed that I’d judge her; yet through her fear, she judged me. Have you ever been rejected by a friend through no fault of your own, been cast aside – not for something that you’ve said, done, or for who you are, but for fear of what you might think or say?
Sometimes We Might Be Rejected For Our Beliefs
In 1 Samuel 8:6-7, the elders of Israel said to Samuel, “Give us a king to lead us.” Samuel was displeased, so he prayed to the Lord, who told him, “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king.” My friends, it may not always be the case, but sometimes the very fact that we believe in God will cause others to reject us – especially if they have already rejected God, themselves.
Pray For Those Who Have Been Rejected
The best thing we can do is to pray even more fervently for those who have rejected us and ask God to give us hearts of compassion for others who have been rejected. My friends, there are tens of thousands who are still trapped within the harsh clutches of trafficking and similar harmful lines of work, but I want to emphasize the importance of asking God to embrace them in his love, without judgment or a spirit of condemnation, if and when they are able to begin rebuilding their lives.
For Information about the effects of pornography in our society, see the article “Five Ways Our Culture Is Grooming Your Daughter For Porn” from Covenant Eyes.
For information about the relationship between pornography and sex trafficking, see our former blog post titled “Human Trafficking And Pornography: The Link.”