Has there ever been a time when you didn’t get the glory you thought you deserved? Maybe your ministry in the church wasn’t acknowledged, a coworker “borrowed” your idea, or the kids failed to appreciate your daily service. Did you feel a sense of injustice, anger—the desire to set things right by wrenching heads toward your sacrifice?
Moments like these are much more frequent than we’d ever like them to be. And let’s face it: some of our worst moments are how we respond when people don’t give us what we think we deserve. We berate and shun. We expose and call to account. We unfriend. In today’s language, we cancel. We circle the wagons to protect ourselves, our positions, our influence, our image.
But is this how God calls us to respond?
Imitate the One Who, When Despised, Returned Kindness
We’re called to obey God by imitating the One who, when despised, returned kindness; when rejected, showed love; when misunderstood, remained patient. Every day of his life, Jesus pleased God with every thought and action. I’m never close to being able to say that—even on my best days.
Christ understands our struggles:
“Christ, in every respect, has been tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15).
We’re intentionally snubbed? Christ knows what it’s like. People ignore our contributions? Christ understands. We deal with someone who must have been absent when God dispensed the courtesy-and-respect gene? Christ experienced the same temptations that boil up in us—rejection, disappointment, forgotten efforts—“yet without sin.”
And Christ said we’re to respond to life the same way he did.
Rest in the One Who Empowers
Christ not only understands—he empowers us to do what he calls us to do. We’ll be rejected, misunderstood, mistreated simply because we follow him. Seeking to glorify God isn’t easy. We’ll face opposition from the fallen world around us and, certainly, from the remaining sin in our hearts.
But Christ has come to live in and through us by the Holy Spirit. We pursue the glory of One who understands our weaknesses and has made provision for them.
Leadership positions you squarely in the line of fire of the same kinds of rejection and mistreatment our Savior faced. If we want to remain resilient and faithful to our assigned posts, we must look daily to the One who not only endured temptation sinlessly but also now intercedes on our behalf with our heavenly Father.
Yes, we are called to imitate him—and that is hard.
We are also called to rest in him—and that is faith.
Today’s Tenacious Question
What hardship have you been facing in leadership recently as a result of opposition from people? In what ways did Jesus experience that same hardship?
Prayer
Lord Jesus, thank you that you understand and sympathize with my weaknesses in these recent hardships. Thank you that I can bring them to you and that you intercede on my behalf before the Father. Help me to remain faithful to you as I seek to honor you with the stewardship you’ve given me. Amen.
Photo by Malachi Cowie on Unsplash
