“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. But it will be more bearable in the judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You shall be brought down to Hades. “The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me.” (Luke 10:13-16)
As Jesus continues in these woes of unrepentance, we get to verse 16, where He says, “The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me”. Here Jesus makes it very clear that we are His ambassadors, His representatives. It’s in this point of us being His ambassador that we need to remember not only in how we share the gospel and live, but also in rejection.
When we share the gospel and someone receives it, we need to remember that they are hearing us, yes, but they are ultimately hearing God speak through us. Likewise, when we share with someone and they reject it, yes they are rejecting us, but ultimately they are rejecting God.
We shouldn’t take everything personal, whether it’s good or bad in ministry, because it can delay or derail our mission.
It’s easy to understand how if we take something bad personal, it can delay or derail our mission, right? If we get too internally focused, we make it about ourselves, what didn’t they like about me, did I say something the wrong way, maybe they didn’t understand what I meant, maybe if I were dressed differently they would have listened, etc and now the focus is on ourselves instead of pushing forward in the work.
However, the same can be true of something we perceive as good. If we take something good personally, then the accolades people give as they see the work of God in and through you can get you internally focused, which can still delay or derail you. If we make it about ourselves, it becomes something like, wow, I guess I am pretty great, I do have a talent for this, I am better than (insert anyone who does similar ministry work as yourself), and pride can quickly become a huge issue.
But if we keep focused on the fact that we are HIS ambassadors, we represent HIM and we should be daily denying ourselves in that process, then there’s no room for us to insert ourselves regardless of the outcomes.
Now by not taking outcomes personally, this doesn’t mean that we don’t feel feelings about it. We’re not robot ambassadors, we are indeed human beings just like Jesus, who have feelings. This doesn’t mean suppress your feelings, because that can create bad responses on either sides of the spectrum such as false humility or apathy. We can’t and shouldn’t try to hide our feelings. We have feelings that we share with God, as being created in His image. What it does mean is that as His ambassadors, we share His heart by rejoicing when people accept and feel grieved when people reject.
- Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents. (Luke 15:10)
- The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. (Genesis 6:5-6)
- The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)
The thing to remember is that regardless of the outcome, you’re in Christ. He is your Savior, you’re His ambassador, He has gone before you, and He is with you through it all. So through the rejoicing and grieving, the trials and persecutions – persevere and stay on mission!
If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. (John 15:18-20)