Our Gifts

To save a life for God.

Have you ever thought, what it must be like, to experience rejection in your live? Many of us deny it, because we don’t want to be seen like that. Experience has taught me, that denying something, also shows a form of rejection in your life. That made me think of the scripture in the bible, where it says; Matthew 7:5:“You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.” But that takes me to my next question. Do we really see the pain in others lives, or do we just close our eyes for their pain and needs? Do you really go through trouble to spot the one that always sits apart from the others, or the one that is always laughed at, or the one in tears, or the one that is pushed around, even those ones who are not popular in our eyes? With what kind of eyes are you looking at others? Are you looking away, or are you keeping yourself blind. What kind of an example do you set for those in pain, if you are blind even for your own brokenness. Jesus says in His word, that a blind man can not be lead by another blind man, because both of them will fall into the furrow. You see, Jesus did not only bring His salvation for you, but for everyone. Our task is to save others for Him, to be a shepherd for others. What is a shepherd’s main task? A shepherd takes care of the sheep, and leads them. Are you a shepherd for others? Do you encourage people in God, do you lead people to God, are you an example for God?

Put yourself in such a person’s life for one moment, a person that, in his heart, feels rejection everyday. Feel the pain of the rejection arise in your body... Uncertain you step down the hall, you decide it’s best to walk circles around those who are out to hurt you as usual. Everyday of your live is uncertain, maybe because you feel uncertain about yourself. It feels to you as if people are waiting for you to fall, to stumble, so that they can laugh at you again. You pull your cap over your face, as if you are trying to hide your face, you don’t want them to see the scars of the pain on your face. Nobody must see your pain, that will just lead to another situation when they laugh at you. Suddenly you peep out from under your cap, and your eyes are seeking the crowd to see if there is someone that pays attention to you at that moment. When you discover it’s safe, you quickly wipe the tear in your eye away, that caused a burning sensation in your eye. There is always a tear that pricks and irritates in the corners of your eyes. Sometimes the sword of your rejection thrusts so deeply into your soul, that you just want to scream out loud. Deep in yourself you feel so alone, almost like no one ever cared for you. But that is not important, because you don’t feel important in this world. You feel you just want to scream, just to be heard, maybe someone will hear the slogans of your heart. But always the angry screams in you, are answered with the cold silence that surrounds your world. That silence is like a deadly silence. A deadly silence that fades away into your heart, where you keep on bleeding in your inner self. You feel like you want to do everything in your power just to be heard, just to be seen,  but still the cold silence remains in you, which shoots cold arrows down your spine. You feel you don’t belong in this world, as if you do not fit into this world, you don’t feel at home. Constantly you ask these questions; “God, why  me? God how can you have a purpose with me in this life? 

I am so unimportant, it feels like the world hates me, the world has turned it’s back on me. You want to inhale the last oxygen in your lungs, and scream it out, but your screams seem to disappear into the distance of the cold silence around you.

You feel like your whole world is torn  apart and your life is slowly broken down, piece by piece. You feel like you are breaking, because the world breaks you down, people break you down, and that is killing the joy in your life. The angriness of your pain arises in your body again and you suddenly hit the bathroom door with both your knuckles. The blood flows freely out of your knuckles, but it’s like you don’t care anymore, because you feel thrown away, lonely and totally left behind. You can not face the pain anymore, the pain in you have become so severe and intense that you feel you just want to die.  You can not listen to the coldness anymore, die, you just want to die.  You feel like death is maybe the only outcome for you. You think, maybe you will just grab your shaving knife tonight, and cut your wrists, you just want to give yourself over to that cold death in you. Who will care in anyway, like anyone ever cared about you....?

Maybe you can identify with these emotions? Maybe you know someone that feels like that. Maybe you feel guilty yourself, because you know deep in your heart, that everyday of your life, you pass a person like that. Maybe you even join in laughing at them, or form part of the fun that other people make of them. And then when you proved to the world you are accepted, and “cool” enough, you feel guilty, because you know you share portions in others pain. That reminds me of Jesus’ crucifixion. Were you the one that also screamed; “More pain, more hidings, crucify Him, crucify Him!”

Don’t you realise it, that one that feels the rejection, that experience the bitter loneliness, and the sadness, that you are taking the right away from him to have a full and joyful life in God?  Sad, but it is hard reality. A truth that most people tend to run away from. No, not me. I’d rather join in laughing at them, than to be expelled.  I certainly don’t want to be made fun of, or to be in the spotlight!

Is that love? Is it love toward our fellow men? Are we not busy rejecting Jesus’ most important law, the one that’s about love? Jesus says; “I am giving you a new law, to love each other, like I love you.  How can we attend the Sunday service at church, but during the week we are out to hurt our fellow people. Do you gossip about others behind their backs, are you the one helping to break down other people’s lives, do you lead them to that only solution, that cold death? Do you realise that you are taking the hope and life out of these people? You are part of that terrible lie that spins around in that rejected person’s head, no one loves him, no one seems to care. I get goose bumps at the thought that I may be adding portions in other people’s hurt and pain.

Maybe your next question is; “How can I behave different towards my fellow people? How can I make things right, where I caused so much hurt and pain?” If those questions arises in your heart, while you are reading this, you are ready to save a life for God. What does it mean to save? How do you define the word “save”. Think of the example of a lifesaver. The lifesaver spots the one that struggles to swim, who’s arms are getting too weak to swim, and he is constantly swallowing water and gasping for some oxygen. Then the lifesaver jumps into the sea and swims to Him, he reaches a hand out to him and saves him from drowning. Then the lifesaver has saved another life. Now think of that rejected one. He feels like he is drowning, he feels like his arms are getting too weak to swim towards life, his legs feel paralysed, but if someone reached a hand of love out to him, he finds the joy and gladness in his life again. Just by your hand of love, he found God’s love for him, and then with new joy in his heart finds the life that God destined for him.

God’s love and joy and full life in Him, is not only for you, but also for the one who lost God someway along the road, the one that cut himself deeply with the scars of rejection in his life. God proves His unconditional love for us daily, but He also expect that we share His love with others. The biggest curse for you is, how can you love God, but you don’t have the same love for your fellow people. You can lead those rejected ones to God, you can teach them about God’s love. God’s love is free, you don’t have to do anything to deserve it. As He shares His love freely with us, so we should distribute His love freely to our fellow people.

     

You see, you are only able to understand God’s love, if you are ready to share that love with others. If you don’t have that kind of love in your heart, then maybe there is some unsolved hurt in your heart, that you need to bring in front of God, in order to receive healing for it. Everyone of us experienced some form of rejection and pain in our lives. Some of us are even deeply scarred by our pain and rejection, so badly that we became blind for His love for us.

Those friends of yours that gossip about others, that laugh at others, that rejects others, do you really think they are true friends for you. Do you think that they will be the one’s that will help and support you with love and understanding when you are in trouble or in need? Why don’t you make the choice of choosing friends that build you up in God, that leads you to God. I will tell you, what causes you to hold back on that thought. It is because you are also afraid of rejection in your life. Do you see the irony in this, it’s like an evil circle.

Let me show you, what God’s task is for us. In 1 Timothy1:5: “The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.” Clearly God’s task for us is to rouse love with a pure heart, to plant His love in others, to show His love to others. God’s voice is echoing over the whole world; “Save those who are lost, save those who are sad, save those who are oppressed and rejected. Maybe it is time to remove the blindness in our hearts, to open our eyes toward others, specifically those who are rejected and in pain.

Put yourself again in that rejected person’s shoes. Feel his hurt, feel his pain... You see him sitting aside from everybody as usual, his cap pulled far over his head, almost as if he is hiding under the cap to protect himself. You make the decision in your heart to take action; “God, I am going to give him Your love.” You walk in his direction and kneel down beside him, softly you put your hand on his shoulders. He jumps up in a flash, because he didn’t expect your hand on his shoulder. He wants to run, but when he notices you are smiling at him, he feels touched in his heart. He keeps staring at you. Suddenly you reach out your hand to him, a hand full of love and passion for him.  You see the expression of astonishment on his face, you notice the questions in his red eyes full of tears. Then you answer those questions with the following words: “You are a child of God, you belong to Him. God loves you. God loves me, and therefore I love you.”  The tears start to roll down his cheeks again, but this time it’s tears of healing, tears of freedom, tears of joy, tears of; “I found my place in the world, in God’s love for me.”

At that moment you feel the warmth in your body, you look up at the blue sky to His light, then you know. “Now I understand God, now I understand Your love for me and others, for everyone.” In your ears you can hear the sounds of heaven rejoicing when they sing in honour of God; “Another life has been saved for Him.”

By: Marieke Zeevaart