Truth or a Lie

4You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple. He was rejected by people, but he was chosen by God for great honor.
5And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God.
1 Peter 2:4-5
When I was in 5th - 8th grade it was called junior high.  It seems today that those grades are referred to as middle school.  Hemlock by another name is just as deadly.  Those years in school were not my favorite.  Actually, they still are some of my worst school memories.  Finding acceptance was difficult.  Often being chosen last and told, “Your not good enough.”  Or, “You stink.”
We all struggle to find our place.  At work.  In the community.  At home.  In the church.  The struggle for feeling accepted, for having a place, for having a meaning is a lifelong struggle.  At different times in my life I have felt rejected by friends, family, and strangers even.  Rejection is a ubiquitous state.  From wherever it comes, it is still the same.  “That job has been filled.”  “You don’t have the grades for the program.”  Rejection hurts.
You are not alone in your feeling of rejection.  The Creator, the Son of God was rejected by people.  He was abandoned by His friends.  He was heckled by strangers.  He was condemned by the crowd.  This Jesus, who was rejected, was made the cornerstone of God’s temple.  The rejected was chosen.  God is building his temple and He has chosen us.  We are the living stones of His temple.  That is the truth.  People reject us and tells us we are of little value or are not good enough.  God tells us we are chosen by Him for His work.
The lie of the world is that you are not good enough.  God’s truth is you are chosen by Him.  He has picked you.
  1. What lies do you believe?
  2. What truth does God say?
  3. Who are you going to believe?

--Zine Smith

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