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Stop Compromising with Fear of Rejection Now

Stop Compromising with Fear of Rejection Now

By: Elizabeth L. Creecy

So I came to hate life because everything done here under the sun is so troubling. Everything is meaningless—like chasing the wind.

Ecclesiastes 2:17 NLT

25 Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity. 26 Anyone who wants to serve me must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves me.

John 12:25,26 NLT

Do you love your life?

What do you think is important in life?

Most people think that food, clothing, power, money, and pleasure are important things. Are you living for those things? Seriously, ask yourself this question because I am talking about life or death here! You get to choose what you will do, but at the end of your life or if Jesus comes back first, you might not get a second chance!

Jesus makes it clear in John 12:25 that when we love our life, we fail to recognize that the soul is more important than the body. To love one’s life here and now on earth is to concentrate on one’s own success causing a person to lose what matters. Please know how God defines success and how the world defines success are very different. The ways of God are usually opposite of the world’s methods.

Are you concentrating on worldly success or godly success? I encourage you to watch out and be mindful of where your focus and heart are, as you might be losing what really matters. And living for Christ is what matters.

Perhaps that is why it is so hard for many of us to crucify the flesh? Most people allow their sensations, urges, and ultimately their body to dictate their life.

If we neglect our soul’s welfare, we indirectly lose our life. Whereas on the other hand, there are those believers who have their priorities in order.

Before I continue, please know if this message stirs up a negative emotion inside of you, please investigate it. I encourage you to be curious about what is causing you to get upset or angry at what you read instead of shutting it down. What I am talking about here is very serious.

To put it differently, if faithful followers of Christ love their own lives more than their Master, Jesus, they will lose the very thing they seek to maintain. One’s love for the Father must be such that all other passions are, by comparison, hated.

It’s vital to realize true disciples of Christ MUST be willing to suffer and experience rejection from humans even to the point of death. Yes, I wrote that! Are you ready to suffer and experience rejection for Christ?

Most believers are not, even though they say they are. Let me ask you, how much do you compromise to avoid rejection?

When you see someone who could benefit from hearing about Christ, do you boldly speak up about the life-saving power of Christ, or do you shy away? Or when you see someone who may need prayer, do you offer to pray for them, or are you too afraid of upsetting them? Or better yet, do you only think about Christ in the morning, and that’s it?

If you find yourself not speaking up about Christ because of FEAR of what one might say to you, please know that you have made humans your god.

I hate to break it to you, but serving Christ means making a RADICAL lifestyle change. As disciples of Christ, we are no longer from this world. We reside in the Kingdom of Heaven, and if that is truly your home, you will not act as the world does! Jesus makes it very clear He doesn’t like lukewarm water.

So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth (Revelations 3:16 NKJV).

Where do you need to make changes to your goals, interests, hobbies, career choices, or habits?

Whether you realize it or not, to follow Christ means going the way He went! On the contrary, following Christ does NOT mean walking down the path of earthly power and honor. Let that sink in for a moment. The devil is fooling a large portion of the body of Christ. They think they are serving Christ, but in reality, they are lukewarm at the very best. Unfortunately, some of the believers in the body of Christ might not make it to heaven – dare I say. If I don’t say it, who will?

Remember, everything Jesus did was to glorify the Father! Are you glorifying Him in everything you do or just some things?

When you choose to follow Christ and are serious about that choice, you must live for God’s glory alone. Again, some believers in the body of Christ are double-minded. They are trying to serve both the Father and the world. Let me be very clear, YOU CANNOT SERVE TWO MASTERS (Matt. 6:24). Which one will you pick? I am talking about a life-or-death choice here! There are no gray areas, which should be a good thing as some of you prefer thinking in absolutes or black-and-white.

To serve Christ means following Him. It’s like Simon Says type of following too. If you read your Bible, you know His disciples obey His teachings and resemble Him morally. They do what He said and exemplified. We are to do the same. We must apply the example of His death to ourselves.

What does Jesus really mean by “hating” your life in this world?

Here are four points to help you understand what Jesus meant.

1. Jesus wants you to be 100% committed to living for Him. He wants this so much so that you need to “hate” your life by comparison. If you don’t hate your life in contrast, your life will always compete with how He wants you to live and how you want to live. We know which one will win too.

  • Take a second to reflect on your life. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you reflect and highlight where you choose your life and ways over His.
  • Please don’t beat yourself up about this. Learn from it. Grow from it. Repent. Give yourself grace. We have to walk things out sometimes. No one but Jesus was perfect.

2. When you love your life, you start to become selfishly protective of it. It’s all about you! What happens is you begin to guard your time and energy so jealously that you squander it on your OWN pleasures and purpose.

  • Your life is not about you. I know, I know the world says it is. It’s not. Your life is about glorifying the Father and living for Christ. Now, you are uniquely designed to do something specific for God’s Kingdom. I promise you God’s will for your life will be more satisfying than anything you can imagine. God’s not asking you to be a robot but to make Christ the dominant thing in your life.
  •  Have you asked the Father what He made you do?

3. However, hating your life means consistently growing in Christ and using your resources to follow Christ. It’s putting godly values before your values. It’s about obedience. It’s putting others before you. It is most definitely putting what Christ says above what everyone else says.

  •  It does not mean that you long to die, are careless, or foolish with the life God has given you.
  • It does mean that you are free from self-centeredness and willing to die for Christ if doing so would glorify the Father.

4. By laying down our mission to strive for advantage, power, money, security, and pleasure, you can serve God lovingly and freely. You remove the competition, if you will.

  • Laying down your life for Christ is ultimately releasing and surrendering control to Christ. I promise you when you do this; you receive eternal life and the most satisfying joy you can imagine

As Warriors for Christ, we are promised the constant protection and presence of our Master. Boldly and courageously serving Christ now on earth as a true disciple means you will receive God’s approval in the coming day. Remember, whoever suffers shame, rejection, reproach on earth will be microscopic compared to the glory of being publicly commended by the Father in Heaven.

Where can you start being bolder for Christ?

Where are you serving two masters?

What can you do to truly start living for Christ?

I encourage you to read Daniel if you need some encouragement or your faith to grow!

Prayer:Father God, I repent for being doubleminded. I repent for not being braver and more courageous in my walk with You. Please forgive me. I want to be fearless in my walk with Christ. I want to be a true disciple. Holy Spirit, I ask you to help me live as Christ lived. Your Word says You will give me the desires of my heart. Well, I am asking You to start changing my desires to Your desires. Father, show me how I can renew my mind to Your Word. I ask You to highlight where I am failing to serve You. Father, I surrender my entire life and being to You. I ask that You help me to do Your will and glorify You in everything. Thank You for Your love and for helping me live only for You and not for me! In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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