S3 EP7. The Rejection Still Hurts
44:37 Share

Hello everybody. Happy Friday. Welcome to another episode of Christ with Coffee on Ice. I'm so grateful to be here with you guys and I'm really excited to just be vulnerable with y'all because I really think this topic today was definitely inspired by something that I have been

actively going through and just feeling and I know that you know everything that happens to us the Lord first allows and sometimes that can feel really confusing especially when it comes to hardships I think it's really easy to rejoice and be excited for all the great things that the Lord allows to happen in our life but sometimes it's really hard to come to terms and accept that he also does

allow hardships in our life and we can question him and his sovereignty and say, Lord, are you sure that you allowed this? Like, are you sure that you really wanted this to happen or maybe not wanted, but are you sure you're really going to be able to turn this to good and like make this a blessing? I don't see how you could do that. We really will sometimes question him and I

why, you know, he lets certain trials and things happen to us. So with that, I guess I'm setting it up like it's going to be this big tragic thing. It's not that tragic. But I just felt it on my heart to acknowledge that, that all of our hardships look different. And at the end of it all, we really do look different.

to God and we say, okay, so where's the fruit in this? Like, why is this happening or why did this happen to me? And I think that, you know, something that's really important to remember about being a Christian, and I know we've probably said this before on the podcast, is that being a Christian doesn't mean that the hardships or, you know, hurtful things don't happen to us.

you know like we don't get this special exemption or like write-off pass hall pass you know of hard things happening to us just because we follow jesus that's not the promise the promise that he gives us is that we get to do it with him though there's redemption through jesus

And, you know, even through hardships and things that hurt us in life, our Lord is preparing that table in front of our enemies. And he will redeem it. And he will make something good out of what was supposed to be meant for evil. And...

It's really cool because I know that scripture. Most of us, at least, know that scripture where it's like... I want to be specific about which one it is, but where what was made for evil, the Lord turns to good. And somebody gave me a POV the other day where they were like, well, it's actually...

What was made for good, Satan tries to use it for evil, but the Lord redeems it for what it was supposed to be all along. You know, like everything was meant to be good from the beginning. It's not that it starts with evil. It's like it was supposed to be good. It was corrupted. It was perverted. Satan tried to use it for evil and then the Lord redeems it.

overcomes it and brings it back to what it was supposed to be, even if that looks different because the enemy tried to use it for evil. You know what I mean? There actually might be a few Bible verses that pretty much say this, where the Lord will redeem what was made for evil and turn it back to good. But Genesis 50 20 is an example that we're going to use right now for context. And it says, "...you intended to harm me, but God intended it for good, to accomplish what is now being done."

Yeah, so I just think that that speaks volumes to the heart that the Lord has for us, which is a heart for just not leaving us or abandoning us.

And he's really on our side, even if it doesn't feel like it sometimes, even when we think that he's supposed to be showing up at a certain time. And it's funny because I had this revelation actually a few weeks ago where I was thinking about the definition of on time. Like if I had to define what it meant to be on time, how would I describe it?

And so the best way I could think of a description of like what on time looks like or what it should be, normally it's like right at the minute that you're supposed to be there, you know? So to use an example, let's say that you have a hair appointment at 1.30 and you're

you showed up right on time, like on time. What does that look like? When you say that, like what time do you think I showed up at the hair salon? 1.30, not 1.20, not 1.50. It's like, whoa, I showed up like right on time, right on time, which is right on the dot, like right down to the second I walked through those doors of that salon, 1.30, she was right on time. She wasn't a minute too early. She wasn't a minute too late. On time is like

last minute, kind of, you know? When we think about being on time to something, it's like normally like, oh, that was a close one, but we're right on time, you know? And so when we call our God an on-time God, what are we really saying with that? Well, we're saying that he's probably to the last minute. And so sometimes, you know, when it looks like, okay, Lord, I need you to show up. I need you to turn this to good. Like, why haven't you yet? And we think about what we think would be on time. But if the Lord hasn't shown up

to redeem it just yet, is because it's not on time. He's not gonna be early to anything. He's definitely not gonna be late, but he's gonna be on time. And sometimes that's really hard to trust, you know? Like, when we're sitting there, like, another POV, you're the hairstylist though, and you're sitting there at 1.29 and 30 seconds. You're like, is this girl showing up to her hair appointment? Like, we got 30 more seconds left, but also she's not late, you know?

Sometimes we're kind of like we're that hairdresser where we're like god You're really scaring me Can I at least see out the window that you've parked the car and you're walking to the salon? You do you get what i'm saying? Like we always kind of want to know like okay, but you're coming right and sometimes he really tests our faith in that, you know Especially hard when we're in hardship and we're like, all right god I'm ready for you to like flip this on its head now like help like where are you?

And so anyway, I just really loved that I got that revelation the other day because I was like, dang, it's so true though. Like we call him an on-time God, but most of the times for him to be on time, it's actually really uncomfortable for us because we have to be so patient in waiting for him until the very last second to be on time.

on time. And so ultimately, my goal in this episode is not to create any self-pity for myself, but I really just pray that it helps a lot of people be seen in, you know, what it is that they're struggling in, that, you know, we all feel it as Christians, you know, these things.

and it doesn't exempt us just by being Christian. It doesn't exempt us from facing these types of things, but every single one of us faces it, and so if there's ever a moment in your life where you're comparing yourself to another Christian's life, it could be someone online, but it could also be somebody that you personally know, you know, and I think it's really easy to fall into that slippery slope of,

comparison, you know, especially if you're new to your faith or if you've just reconnected with the Lord again after kind of being lukewarm or falling away from him. And it's easy to compare yourself. I've done it. I've done it. So, I mean, we've all done it. And I think just don't believe that lie in your head that you're the only one that's dealing with this thing or, you know, no one else is facing these things because it's just not true.

Every single one of us faces this or is currently facing this and I really believe that the Lord has actually put this on my heart and has let me face this today. I mean this thing that we're going to talk about, this topic we're going to speak about today is something that I'm literally facing right now and this was not something that I even planned on filming about but I know actually in my soul right now through the Spirit, thank you Lord, that it's because there are people listening to this episode that are actually going through it right now as well. Like literally they've felt it today, they've been feeling it this week and

And so this is the Lord. This is how much he loves you. Like this isn't me. This is actually how much God loves you that he wanted you to feel comforted and seen and heard today, right now. It's not a coincidence that we're talking about this. If this is what you needed to hear, if this is what you've been feeling, there's no such thing as a coincidence. This is the Lord trying to take care of you and hold your hand. Even if you just need to weep in his lap.

like this is what that is and he loves you this much that he wanted you to hear this message today so we're going to talk about rejection and I want to talk about this because I think it's really easy to get wrapped up obviously like what I pray I never stop getting wrapped up in this but it's exciting and it's easy to get wrapped up in the goodness of God especially if you're a new believer and

It's so exciting. And like I said, I pray that that excitement never goes away. I don't believe it ever will as long as you're putting in the time, the effort, and you know, you're constantly asking the Lord for a fresh fire and you know,

fresh oil and a fresh hunger for him every day. That is something we have to pray for and ask for. Like, Lord, give me a new hunger for you today. You know, even if you've been a believer for 50 years, I don't believe that we should ever lose this type of enthusiasm for God. I think that's something that we can really pray for and say, God, I pray that my relationship with you is childlike from the beginning to the end. And I

So there's no fear in that, you know, wearing off. But if it is for you, let's pray about it. You know, like pray to God and say, God, I don't want to keep feeling like this. Give me a fresh fire because he's sovereign and he can, you know, he can give that. It's just a matter of us asking for it and a fresh hunger and then just doing the work and being in the word and being in his presence. I don't believe anyone will go lukewarm ever again in their life. You know, and we've talked about that. That's been a podcast episode for us where we've talked about, you know, I don't want to be lukewarm anymore. So anyway,

Sorry, side tangent. But it's exciting, you know? And we kind of... I don't want to say we run off into la-la land with the Lord. Because like, I don't want to give it some type of discredit. Like it's a bad thing. But at least for myself, I'll speak for myself. I think it's really easy to kind of just like frolic through life when you've just found Jesus. It's really like falling in love for the first time, you know? Like when you really fall in love with somebody, it's like so exciting and you don't care about anything else. And honestly, I don't ever want to care about anything else other than Jesus. He's my number one for the rest of my life. I will literally...

die for him but it's almost like when you're in this bubble with him you forget how the world really is you know like when you're when you're really in the presence of god

For a long time and often it does kind of put you in this bubble of like protection and love where you're just now you're completely conforming to the reality of just being in his presence and his goodness and you're like dang life is good. God is good. Everybody's great. Life is good. And then you kind of step back out into the world and you realize that.

that that's just not everywhere, you know? Like, that's just not dwelling inside of everybody. Jesus isn't dwelling in everyone, and he's not accepted everywhere, you know? I think, especially for me in this season, I've been blessed. Thank you, God. I've been blessed with a community that I've been praying for for, like, my whole life, and I've had incredible friends and an incredible church community, and, you know, I've been really...

spending so much time in his presence through other people, you know, and hanging out in these communities and doing worship nights and, you know, prayer nights and just being in his presence all the time that you kind of forget about the fact that there are like, I mean, there's many parts of the world that just don't, most of the world, that's not reality. And so sometimes it kind of feels like La La Land where you're like, you know, it's like heaven on earth, but then you step back into the world and you're like, oh,

Oh, you know, and it's sad because like, again, I just have so much compassion and I really my heart breaks for the world because, you know, to the people who don't know Jesus, it just breaks my heart. It should break all of our hearts. And we should never be selfish with God.

God's goodness and his heart, you know and think like oh well I know him and I'm living my best life with him So whatever y'all figured out like as Christians our hearts should never stop breaking For the world that don't know this peace and this love like what? I mean, it's like I'm on cloud nine with Jesus like all the time and it's the best feeling ever it's literally just a taste of what heaven will be like and

and it's beautiful, but also we need to have so much compassion for people, especially when they treat us, you know, ill, or they do reject us, or they're not kind to us. We need to continue to have hearts for them. You know, it's that scripture of what Jesus literally said on the cross as he was dying. He said, Father, forgive them for they don't know, and I think that that's just something we have to keep centered on.

In the way that we operate and we walk through life as Christians, we have to keep compassion at the center of our hearts.

We cannot repay evil with evil. We have to repay evil with blessings and we have to have compassion in our hearts for people. No matter how long we've been following Jesus, we have to remember the versions of ourselves before we even knew him. You know, if you're born again like me, I pray you never forget the version you were before, you know, and the pain that you felt because that's the part of you that's going to be able to relate to these people and hurt for them, you know? And even if

Even if you've honestly known Jesus your whole life, I think a beautiful gift that the Lord has given us through the Holy Spirit is compassion. And so even if you've never felt a season of your life without the Lord, I do believe that the Holy Spirit will be able to give you that compassion and imagine a life without him and say, oh my gosh, like I can't imagine life without him, you know? And that's where your compassion comes.

stems from, you know, maybe you didn't live in the world before and you've always known the Lord, but he will give you that compassion, you know, and that like POV of like, wow, I don't know how I could ever survive life without him. So our hearts just have to break for these people. And it isn't something where we have to like, you know, fight back and say, well, screw them. It's their loss, you know, but it doesn't make the rejection hurt any less.

And, you know, we know the truth. And we know that it's even said in scripture that because of the way we love Jesus and because of the way that we prioritize him in our life and because of the way that we talk about him and, you know, we share the gospel, the world will just hate you. And hate sounds like a really harsh word. Like the way that the Lord uses the word hate in the Bible. I'm like, dang, like people really be hating me. But it's not that they hate me. It's like they first hated him. And so I think...

Another thing we need to keep in mind is that we can't take it personally. It's not about us at all. And it's all about him. And it's not even about these people. It's all about the enemy, you know? That's ultimately the one operating behind that hate. That's where it comes from. We know that this is a battle of just two things, which is Jesus and the enemy. It's light and dark.

And the minute that we remind ourselves that and we remove ourselves from it and take it like it's not a personal thing is the minute that we get to receive his peace, you know, and he's been so kind. His heart is so good. He's been so kind to give us these warnings, you know, these heads ups and

In the Bible. It's scripture. He's literally told us. He's warned us. He's been like, hey, don't be surprised if people hate you just because you love me. Just simply because you love me. It doesn't matter how good of a person you are. It doesn't matter that you are just you. You know, you're also still you. Like something that goes through my mind is I'm like, dang, y'all, I'm still Allie though. Like I get it. You don't have to follow the Lord. You don't have to love him. You don't even have to know him. I pray you do though. I'm still going to be praying for you that you do because it's a peace beyond understanding. You will never...

You won't understand it. That's what makes him supernatural. That's what makes him the Lord. He's so good. But I won't ever force you, you know, and I won't, I won't, I won't hate you for it. But dang, I'm still Allie though. Hey, like, I'm still me.

But like even that, that doesn't matter. Like sometimes with some people, it doesn't matter how good you are. I think about this example where I was traveling with a friend and I'm

I actually, it inspired me to make a video months and months and months ago where I was like your presence alone, like, you know, if you're carrying the Holy Spirit in you and it's radiating off of you and it's clear that you've been like dwelling and spending time with Jesus, that fragrance on you, the spiritual realm clearly can,

can feel it, you know? And so if you're walking into a certain environment where maybe it's pretty dark, those demonic spirits, those spirits feel it. And it literally irritates them. Like, what the heck are you doing here? And you're just living, laughing, and loving. You're just minding your own business. You haven't even spoken the name of Jesus. You haven't preached the gospel. You're just simply ordering your coffee. And for some reason, that irritates people. Just your existence. Just you being present.

And sometimes it can make us go, what the heck did I do? Oh my gosh, I haven't even opened my mouth yet. Why does she hate my guts? But again, y'all, we got to strip it down to what it really is about. It's not about her and it's not about you. It's about the spiritual realm and it's about the war that's going on, you know, between darkness and the light. So I just think about this example that happened where I was walking into a coffee shop with a girlfriend of mine and I had ordered a coffee and I was just me, just me.

chilling. And, you know, the thing is, is like, I had seen her be really kind to other people. So it wasn't even like, you know, I always want to give people the benefit of the doubt. Like they could have just had the worst day. They could have gotten the worst news. You know, like we can't expect people to show up like peppy a hundred percent every day because we just don't know what's going on in their world. And so again, that's another POV of like compassion before we take everything personally. And so that was something I tried to

to say to myself in that in my head where I was like oh you know she's probably just having a really tough morning I'm like really praying for her maybe she had an awful customer right before her before me that like treated her like garbage or you know again maybe she had really bad news this morning or who knows

And so I started noticing, though, that she was, like, treating everyone else, like, totally fine. But for me, it was just this, like, attitude of, like, why are you, why do you exist right now? Like, it literally was, like, how dare you for existing kind of energy. And I'm, like, dang, like, I felt it. I was, like, oh my gosh.

It didn't matter how kind I was to her like it was the weirdest thing y'all I've never actually experienced anything quite like this before and so, you know, I whatever I carry on I ordered my coffee I said, thank you so much and I go to sit down and she hands the coffee off to my friend treated her totally great Whatever just comes over to me. She hands me the coffee and basically just throws it at me It's like oh my goodness. What is this?

And the name was for Allison and it wasn't for Allie. And like when I ordered my coffee, I told her my name was Allie. And so I just wanted to make sure that there wasn't another Allison, you know, in the coffee shop that got mine on accident. Like I just wanted that clarity to just make sure. And I got like a freaking vanilla latte. So it was giving basic. So it's like the odds are of someone being in here named Allison that also got a vanilla latte are probably...

Like it's a possible thing, you know, I was just trying to be just trying to make sure and so I went up to her and I was like Hey, I was like this coffee order was made for allison, you know, I ordered it for ally I just wanted to make sure That this was my coffee And she was like i'm not even i'm not even gonna entertain it But basically her response back was like so mean so mean she was so mean to me And yeah, it was the craziest thing i'd ever expected and it really it like threw Me off for like a long time like

probably for a solid like two hours I was like what the heck just happened and I just really felt it was spiritual y'all like I really believe it was spiritual it really was like this girl has like she has darkness like in her life you know and that's what was operating behind all of this it wasn't her like it wasn't even me it was that it was the spiritual warfare it was because I was just

reeking of Jesus and whatever was reeking on her that wasn't of light couldn't stand it you know hey guys how's it going are we loving this pod episode is it our favorite is it absolutely blessing us

Thanks, God. You're the best. Listen, guys, this is kind of giving mini commercial moment, but I wanted to tell you guys that there is a way to give to the pod and help support it financially, which is so huge. Even if you can only give 99 cents, literally anything is so appreciated. But I wanted to let you guys know that the option is there so that the pod can keep running and keep going. So to find...

The way to donate, you can go through the link in our bio on Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube. There's a link there that will lead you to give. I can also verbally tell you the link right now, but I'm going to tell you it's kind of lengthy. It's kind of long. Are you ready? Pens and papers are ready. Okay. It is podcasters.spotify.com slash pod.

slash show slash c w c o i slash support i love you guys so much thank you for your generosity now let's get back into the episode

So anyway, like even that rejection, I was like, dang, like my existence alone just like really irks you. And that's a hard, like, even though we're warned, even though the Lord has given us words in this Bible to tell us like, hey, this will happen. And granted, I'm not saying his word isn't enough, like, whatever.

Thank God that we have this to refer back to. But sometimes that doesn't really stop the initial sting of it. Like you're like, okay, ow, like that still stung and hurt, you know? And so yeah, rejection is real. And I think one of the things that we just have to expect as Christians is that not everybody is going to want anything to do with us.

There will be people that because you love the lord and because you're open about it, you know And you're not hiding it. I don't think that it should ever be anything to deter us from speaking about his goodness I don't think actually I believe this and I know this That we are not Supposed to dim our light and our love for the lord because of these interactions or because of these situations you know if i'm going to be so honest like

I've seen it in multiple avenues of my life where it's come to

certain friends or people that I thought I was cool with and then apparently were not you know people unfollow me on social media or you know certain brands don't want to work with me anymore and that's not me putting any of these people to shame that's not me throwing a pity party for myself either y'all I'm trying to like bring it so much deeper than all of what it is that's what it looks like on the surface but deep down it's like

It's because they just don't, they don't know the truth. They don't understand it, you know? And, you know, I try to tell myself, I'm like, it's not that controversial. Like, it's not like I'm talking about big topics. Like,

you know, that are political. But at the end of the day, like, Jesus is controversial. He is because he's everything the world isn't. And so if we're constantly seeking the approval of the world, we are either not fully walking in faith with the Lord and we're prioritizing the opinions of people in the world, or we are just unapologetically following him and we don't care. But that's it, you know? And we can't expect everyone in the world to even understand it. And

And I think the thing that like breaks my heart the most about it all is it's like they don't have to accept me. They don't have to love me. It's not about me. It's not about Allie. It's not about seeking approval like I need everybody to love me because ultimately this is the POV that us Christians should always have is that the only thing that matters, the only approval and the only one that was that literally said you were worth dying for that matters is Jesus. He's the only thing that matters.

when it comes to our approval, our self-worth, like the things that we need, when it comes to the validation and the love that we literally need, like it's not going to come from the world. It has to only matter through Christ. But the thing that breaks my heart is like just how misunderstood he is.

because I really believe that's the root of all of it is like people make these assumptions about Jesus and I think a lot of it can come from certain churches the church honestly because we are the church we are one body and people don't always represent Jesus in the best way they don't always represent him in a way that is loving unconditionally and understanding and empathetic and so with that I

I think that he's, you know, he's had kind of a bad rep, but he's always had a bad rep. Like even from the beginning, even when he was literally alive and walking here on earth, people rejected Jesus straight to his face and told him that everything that was coming out of his mouth was blasphemous and it wasn't true. And he wasn't who he said he was. Jesus's own creation, us human beings.

looked our creator in the eye and said, you're not the real thing. Like that's the most, like that's the craziest thing.

to really think about and he just took it like he was like my own creation my own people will reject me you know and that's the part that breaks my heart it's like it's not even just the rejection of me it's not even that like I'm like oh what was Allie it's like no I just feel for Jesus like I literally feel and it's not that he needs it it's not that he needs people to understand him but it just breaks my heart that like the purest most incredible sin free perfect man it

It's still told that he's not enough, you know, and it's like, again, it's not that he needs it at all. It's just one of those things where it's like, you know, someone's so good and you know their heart and you know what they've been able to do for you in your life, you know, that they've been able to heal you and deliver you from certain things that you've been so bondaged and

and in pain for, for so many years, possibly your entire life, you know, like there's this person that you know who has literally saved your life and your soul in so many ways and all you want to do is tell the world about how good he is and that, you know, he redeemed your life and you weren't too far gone and so, you know, if anyone else feels hopeless, you

Like they're too far gone. There's an answer and his name is Jesus and he's so good. He's like literally the best thing ever. And like that's all you want to do. But with that people just won't get it and they'll reject you and they'll tell you that's baloney, you know, and they won't even want anything to do with you. Like that's the part I'm like, ah, it's just so hard when you know the truth and you're like,

You guys don't get it. Like, this isn't out of a place of me, like, being judgmental. This is out of a place of me actually loving and having compassion for you and just telling you that, like, he literally healed me in so many ways that I never expected. And, like, you want that for the world. You want that for other people.

So I think another part of it that makes it so heartbreaking is like he's just so misunderstood, you know? And because of that misunderstanding, it holds people back from being able to actually experience and taste his goodness and his glory and his love. Like, whoa, I was under that for so long of my life where I just, I didn't even really know how good he was.

And it was because I just I was blind. But I also think that that's what makes like our community so special is that when the world rejects you, you can always turn to community, you know, like

bro, I just love Christians so much. They're just like the best people and they're so loving and they're just like ready to help pray for you and pick you up when you're, you know, when you're hurting. And like, I've never experienced a community like that in my life. And so I just think it's so sweet. The Lord also encourages us to, you know, be in community so that we can, you know, not only be picked up by him, but like be picked up by our community through him.

I want to read some scripture to y'all. This is in the book of John. It is John 15:18 is where it starts and it says, "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember what I told you: a servant is not greater than his master.

If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me.

If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have no excuse for their sin. Whoever hates me hates my Father as well. If I had not done among them the works no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. As it is, they have seen, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. But this is to fulfill what is written in their law. They hated me without reason."

When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of Truth, who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me. And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning. All this I have told you so that you will not fall away. They will put you out of the synagogue. In fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God.

They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me. I have told you this so that when their time comes, you will remember that I warned you about them. I did not tell you this from the beginning because I was with you, but now I am going to him who sent me.

So this is Jesus talking to his disciples, basically explaining, listen, I haven't told this to you before because you guys have been hanging with me here on earth. But now I am going to him who sent me, which means he was basically saying that he was about to die and he was going to go to the father. He was going to go to heaven, you know? So.

None of you asked me, where are you going? Rather, you are filled with grief because I have said these things. But very truly, I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the advocate will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment, about sin because people do not believe in me, about righteousness because I am going to the Father alone.

where you can see me no longer, and about judgment because the prince of the world now stands condemned.

So then that's Jesus. And I don't think the disciples really understand what he's saying just yet. But this is Jesus explaining that he will come back. And so when he comes back, the world will be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment. Because all of the ways that the world thought that Jesus wasn't who he said he was or he's not real or, you know, all the things that the world still says today, they will be proven wrong when he comes back.

And I love this part too where Jesus says, "But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you." So what Jesus is also explaining in this is that it's actually for our good that he was leaving and he did die on the cross because with Jesus dying on the cross, there are so many things that happen. But the best, one of the best things, I'm not gonna say the best because I mean, oh my gosh, everything about it is like, Jesus, oh, you're so good.

is that he left his Holy Spirit behind. So if it wasn't for the Lord going up on the cross and dying for us, he wouldn't have left his Holy Spirit behind, which is ultimately the translator and the thing that he's the corner piece. We hear Jesus being explained as the corner piece between heaven and us here on earth. He's the translator. He's the thing that helps us connect to our Father. And so we can hear from the Lord through the Spirit, through the Holy Spirit. And so without God...

you know, without Jesus being crucified on the cross, his spirit would have never been left behind. And the spirit just gives us so many things. Oh my gosh. The spirit gives us discernment. I mean, the fruits of the spirit alone in Galatians 5.22, actually, specifically, it'll list off the fruit of the spirit, which is the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Um,

Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking, and envying each other.

So that is the definition of the fruit of the Spirit. And so again, like what? We get to experience all of these things. Joy, peace, love, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, self-control. We get all of these things through the access of the Holy Spirit, which is free. Like every single person on this planet has access to that. Like it's insane. It's insane. The Holy Spirit is insane.

Insane. And we have access to it because of the crucifixion, because of the way that the Lord, you know, was killed on the cross for him to leave his spirit behind. I've started this list on the back of my Bible and I said all the reasons Jesus died, like all the reasons that he had to die. And just to list a few things, I mean, the Holy Spirit, I put with a bunch of exclamation points because I'm like, oh my gosh, we couldn't resist sin or our flesh on our own because of the spirit. We get the strength to resist sin and follow Jesus.

which is the Holy Spirit. But also, you know, people couldn't have shed their guilt for sin. He died so our sins could be forgiven. He came down in human form so we could trust him. Any father who gives guidance off of personal experience is even more trustworthy because he's lived it.

Wait, I don't know what made me go on this tangent, but he also needed to set the example for all of us, what it looked like to lay our life down to serve others, even the ones who reject us, even the ones who are cruel. He showed us what the ultimate love looks like. He is the ultimate love. Like we get to walk out an example of who Jesus is by loving our enemies and loving the ones who don't love us back.

you know yeah it's just it's literally endless so anyway I just I just love that I just love how you know he really tells us that the world will reject us because they rejected him first they hated him first and yeah I think we just need to find comfort in that that if it's happening then you know if you're being rejected for loving Jesus then you know you're probably doing something right you know and it's just it's so real it's something we all face even myself and I

You know, I don't think it's anything that we should fall into bitterness about though because I feel like that's something the enemy loves to run with is like because of the evil of the world or because of the way that people treat us just simply for loving the Lord, we can become bitter and grow bitter towards the world or even, you know, particular people. And I just prompt you guys to not...

fall into that don't fall into the trap of becoming bitter towards people who reject us or treat us ill and I think it's tempting it's so tempting like it's the first thing our flesh wants to do honestly is to you know either be cruel back angry mad or bitter and be like well screw them you know and

That's just, that's not something the Lord would do and it's not something we should fall into. I think, you know, being the bigger person is just simply walking as Jesus would. And so we can't hold any bitterness in our hearts towards people who reject us, you know? And I think that even with the way that we act out after rejection is an opportunity to plant a seed and make people go, whoa. Like even after being rejected, we still choose to love people is what will make people go, okay, whatever.

That is kind of crazy. You know, even if they've actually had bad experiences with other Christians, like set it straight and be the example of how Christians are actually supposed to act. You know, if somebody did lash back at them who claimed to be a Jesus follower, you know, and loves the Lord, but they treated that person poorly, just be different. Just literally be different. We're called to be different. We just will be in the world. We are going to be different. We're going to walk different. We're going to act different. We're going to talk different. And

So I just think, you know, Jesus knows what he's saying when he says to just love people. The literal, like the literal medicine to everything in life is love and forgiveness. Love, forgiveness, compassion, understanding. That is like the magic medicine combination of how we should just be walking this earth and treating people who decide to not give us a chance. Maybe people won't give you a chance.

maybe people won't want to. Maybe people think it's a little too complicated. Nope, sorry, that's messy. She loves Jesus. That's controversial. I don't want to touch that. And that's okay. I think we literally just have to like brush the dust off. I mean, God literally, I mean, these disciples who Paul, who had like traveled and

and was preaching the gospel, and trying to share with people the truth of the Lord, and he was so rejected. So many people in this Bible were literally rejected just simply for sharing the truth, and they just had to like brush the dust off and say, all right, on to the next, you know? And I do believe that the Lord can still plant seeds, even in that simple interaction with the way that you treat them, regardless of the way that they might reject you.

I just want to bring one more piece of scripture up for you guys before we close out on this episode. But this is in Psalm. I'm going to start in Psalm 23.3. He refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil for you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil. My cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

I really love that so much. I just think that's so beautiful. I feel like this is such a great reminder that following the Lord and being obedient and honoring him no matter what, no matter the obstacles, no matter the rejection is so worth it because we will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. That's for the rest of our lives here on earth, but also in eternity.

And that also we don't, we don't have to think that we're like facing all of these things and this rejection and this hurt and these obstacles alone. That his rod and his staff, they comfort me. Meaning he is fighting our battles, you know? I think so many times we feel like we have to have our own faith or our own strength to like endure these things and like show up for God. But he's the one that fights for us. He's the one that provides for us. He's the one that...

clears the path before we even walk through it you know so many times I see myself like hand in hand with the Lord where he's right next to me but I forget that like he's also in front of me and behind me and below me and above me like he's everywhere he's in front of me he's like clearing the path in front of me so everything that I'm facing like he knew was going to happen and he allowed it but he knew and he allowed it because he also had prepared to pave the path for me first

Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil for you are with me. He's with me, but he's before me and behind me. He's protecting us from every angle. And he doesn't want us to fight this on our own at all, actually. He's a father. He wants to provide. He'd actually...

He finds joy in fighting these battles for us. He literally finds joy in preparing the table before and in the presence of our enemies. Like he like wants to do that for us, you know? And so I just think we need to remember that, that, you know, even though we're treated poorly in this world, like the Lord sees it and he takes note of it and he knows it. And so we just need to remember that he loves us and he's preparing it. And he, he wants to make,

things right for us. He's just a loving father that wants to have your back. That's really what it's about. Like he cares that much and he loves you so much. And so even through the rejection, even through the pain, he's

He is our firm foundation, you know, and I think that's just what makes him such a special dad. Like he is literally such a special dad and he just wants to take care of his children. And, you know, I just think it's real. It's real. It's real. So if anything, I just pray that you guys were heard, seen, loved in this episode and, um,

You know, you're not alone in it. You're not alone in it because we are all feeling it, but you're also especially not alone in it because Jesus literally loves you so much and he's right there with you. He is right there with you. He's next to you. He's above you, behind you. Like he's everywhere surrounding you and holding you. And we just can't ever lose sight of that. You know, we are never, ever, ever alone. Like I even think about times before I like really knew Jesus and I'm thinking about all the times that I was like alone, like

Like I thought I was like alone, suffering, sad in my apartment, just hurting. And it's actually really healing. Like I don't know if you guys have ever done this, but the Lord has challenged me sometimes to think about some of the most painful times of my life. And

That's challenging in itself because you're like, okay, ouchie, don't really want to go back there. But this is how he heals us, you know, and sometimes with doing that, like these wounds need to be, what's the word I'm looking for? Acknowledged, you know, for him to heal it. And so, wow, he's been doing so much of that in me. We can bring that to another episode maybe, but just like wounds that have been literally unhealed.

just kind of patched up a little bit but I've never actually really gone away for like years you know and so he's challenged me to just imagine like the scene of like whatever it is that I was hurting in and then he asked me said so I need you to tell me where am I in the room like think back to that time and imagine where Jesus would be standing or sitting in that scene and like whoa I

woe like will bring me to absolute tears because it's just the truth. Like he was there, you know, and he wanted to comfort me in those times where I was really just hurting. And I thought I was alone, just like rotting away in my bed, just crying, you know? And in reality, it's like, I just see the Lord just kneeling on the side of my bed and like putting

putting his head like on his arms and he's just like, he's like leaning on my bed and he's just like there and he's like holding my hand and it's like I just had no idea how much he loved me and how much he was so present in those moments and

And I think even as a believer, like we can forget about that too, you know, where we're like, oh geez, the Lord was like really there. I just didn't see it. You know, we're going to be human and we're going to forget. But yeah, I just think we should never ever lose sight of the fact that he's still there though. Like helping us and comforting us and wanting to make it easier for us through those times.

Well, I love you guys so much. And thank you for tuning in. Thank you for being here for another episode of Christ with Coffee on Ice. I pray that it's blessed y'all. And I just really value you guys so much. And I am just so grateful for this loyal, loyal community that we have. And yeah, just thank you, Jesus. Thank you, God. Thank you.

Thank you for our health, Lord. Thank you for our lives. Thank you for another day of just being able to honor you and experience your presence. It is an honor to wake up every day, you know, and to just be with God. And so I think today we should just really, really acknowledge him in everything we're doing. Like acknowledge that he's standing next to you and be like, hey, God. Hi, Jesus. Love you. What should I have for lunch today? Like even if it's in the simplest things, just invite him into all of that because he really finds such joy in it. He does. He does.

He loves it. He loves it so much. Let's just acknowledge him in every part of our day. And let's do another thing, y'all. We're going to do another thing. We know how this goes. This is the drill. We need to show somebody how cool Jesus is today.

We need to show it. We need to talk it. We need to walk it. We need to be more like the Lord today and for the rest of this week. Let's strive to be more like Jesus today and show the world why he is so good. Even though the world doesn't understand it, even though the world wants to reject us for it, even though the world wants nothing to do with us for it, we're still going to show up and we're still going to be just as Jesus would be and love them anyway. Okay?

Okay? I love y'all. I hope you have a beautiful weekend. I hope you have a great rest of your week. And I will see you in the next episode. Bye.

If you guys can't wait until next Friday for another episode, you are in luck. Subscribe to our Patreon where you will have early access to future episodes and occasional surprise bonus episodes. Make sure to follow us on Instagram and TikTok for more content. And if this episode spoke to you, please write us a five-star review since it helps the podcast so much. We'll see you guys next time.