Saturday, July 24, 2010

Time to Pull Off the Glasses by John Paul Jackson

The spirit of rejection is no respecter of persons. Rejection is a universal experience that manifests itself to some degree in the life of every one of us.

When we are dealing with rejection, it is hard to see the truth. It works like dark sunglasses that subtly, or significantly, color everything in our field of vision. We then respond to this filtered reality as if it were truth: No one understands me. No one sees me the way I want to be seen. People think I’m stupid. I know this person doesn’t like me. No one ever likes me. Why did I just say that? I never do anything right.

Until we are able to put aside our human perspective and embrace God’s perspective, we won’t be able to move past what rejection tells us is true. Perspective is so important. We will either see God’s provision, love and life through spiritual eyes, or we will be trapped as victims, preoccupied with how we think we are doing based on our skewed vision and natural strength. If our vision is anything other than God’s vision, we won’t be able to see ourselves clearly.

For many years, I was anxious to exercise my spiritual gifts. I knew I had a prophetic calling and a destiny, and I wanted to do what God had put in my heart to do.

But just as there is often a “glass ceiling” in the corporate world, I experienced a similar phenomenon in the church world. And to my surprise, it had very little to do with church leaders who were putting me off. It had to do with me. I slowly became aware that God was much more interested in my heart than He was in putting me before prominent people. He desired to develop my character as much as He wanted to cultivate my gifting.

Growing up, I dealt with a lot of rejection. It colored my thoughts about myself and my gifting, and it didn’t allow me to see others clearly. It kept me from seeing what God sees when He looks at me. Though I would have moments of clarity, most of the time, I lived in fear and doubt. However, that began to change when I allowed God to adjust my thinking.

It can be frightening to step away from the familiar boundaries of past thought processes and emotions. But the only way we will survive in this world is by making a radical decision to leave behind our way of thinking and accept God’s way of thinking. The Bible calls this “renewing the mind” (Romans 12:2). Among other things, it means letting go of every thought, assumption and viewpoint that isn’t from Him. It means taking Him seriously when He says He loves us and not thinking of all the reasons we assume that couldn’t be true. If He says it, it is true. There is no question in His mind. He is not unsure.

Perhaps it is time to ask God to help you take off the dark glasses that keep you from seeing yourself and your circumstances through His eyes. You may find that it is the only thing standing between you and destiny.

4 comments:

  1. I was sent a little story recently from a friend in India. She told this story about a visit to see some elephants. Each one of them was held by a very thin, flimsy rope around one ankle. Any one of them could have, just by tugging hard, broken that rope and escaped. When the Mahout was asked why the elephants never tried to escape, and his reply was,"Ever since they were very little they have been tied by the same rope. When little they could not break the rope, so down through the years they have come to believe that they are held by the rope, and never even try to break it. If they wanted they could just snap it and leave. But not one ever has even tried." This story was called "Mindset."
    If we could only see the ropes and chains of the past for what they are, and WHO Christ is for what He is, we would not be held by anything that Satan has chained us by, and would walk in the freedom that HE has given us. "For whom the Son of God sets free, is free indeed!".......Amen

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  2. This sounds just like the story of my life. It is enlightening to know that there are others that have the same experiences. Your journey out was also enlightening. May God use your testimony to lead many out.
    JWPeacemaker@aol.com

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  3. Sins and offences often accompany rejection.

    Each church should have those who will hear the case of anyone sinned against which such sins cause oppression or division of any kind.

    Such things should come to the ears of delivering judges who are determined to judge righteous judgements, showing no partiality, doing the same for one as they will for another,
    pleading any just cause, asking for mercy.

    They should be open to hear these matters if one has gone to another first but has not been heard. They should be open to both parties, willing to hear (not evil for the sake of evil) the thing that causes a present distress.

    They should be the spiritual ones who can find water in dry places, always able to find something good on any page of scripture, thanking God for what they find, being encouragers, peace makers, learning things like patience, goodness, kindness, justice, mercy, and truth, the ones who know the power of the cross and are willing to keep bearing it.

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  4. There has been a move of God going on amongst the rank and file for a number of years now where the Lord is removing those dark glasses we all wear. That process can be likened to psychiatry. I have been going through psychoanalysis with the Holy Spirit for at least the last five years. He has been exposing that in my life and character that He desires to change into the image of Jesus. My part has been "willingness" and "obedience". Many are not willing to face old pains and associated ways of thinking. Instead, they vigorously defend their pain no matter the cost, in effect, rejecting the Lord's help and healing. I'm reminded of the story of the child who takes her broken toy to daddy and tells him, "Fix it!" When he doesn't do it in her time and in her way she takes the toy back and it doesn't get fixed at all. How often do we do that? We are broken people who need the Father's changing/healing touch but our fear or our impatience prevent the very thing we seek. Have mercy on us, Lord!

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