Have you ever been rejected? We all have, at one point or another. Rejection hurts. For most of us, our memories of rejection occurred when we were children, or worse yet, as teenagers, when our perceptions of ourselves were already suspect and under immense self-scrutiny. I remember one of the most devastating rejections I experienced was upon graduating from University. I was in the top of my class, with a 4.0 G.P.A. my senior year. I had matured, was very competent in counseling and dealing with clients, and well-respected by my professors. Yet most of my friends were being snapped up into the job market, while I was not.

I was at a loss for an explanation. After several mvonths, I needed to find a job to pay the rent. The job I found? A new casino hotel had just opened in Reno and was hiring housekeeping staff. That is a fancy name for a cleaning maid. Well, my 4.0 and good reputation was good enough to land me that job. I began vacuuming, cleaning bathrooms, and learned to make a bed in under a minute.

Thankfully, I was not bitter. And being the only male in the break room was always a fun experience. I did my job, paid my bills, and kept submitting my resume. One day a pastor friend called and asked if I wanted to work as an electrician. I told him I didn’t know anything about electricity. He said no problem, call this guy at this number in the next hour and you will have a job paying $44 an hour. I called, and got the job. After a month, the journeyman who worked over me got appendicitis and I was promoted to a journeyman, making $77 an hour. That was more money than I had ever made in my life. I got my bills paid off. Then a pastor called from Las Vegas who wanted me to come be their church’s youth director. I prayed about what to do. God impressed upon me that this is why I had not gotten a job in Social Services. He was redirecting my life to a new career in His service.

I spoke with my electrical boss, and he encouraged me to follow God’s leading. So I did. To my surprise, I received a severance check that gave me enough money to buy my first 12-string guitar, to use in leading youth to sing for God.

In Psalm 118:22-23 (NLT), we read: “The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone. This is the LORD’s doing, and it is wonderful to see.” This passage was used by Jesus in Mark 12:1-12 to describe Himself being rejected by the leaders of Israel. Yet He was the “Chief Cornerstone,” the One by whom God’s people would be measured and built together as a living dwelling for the Living God. (cf. Mark 12:9-12).

Jesus was the Messiah, sent to bring God’s people back to God. He was the Lamb of God sent to be the ultimate sacrifice to remove our sins, and bring us the forgiveness of God. In Jesus we become the body of Christ, each believer being a living part of God’s people, of Jesus’ tangible presence on Earth (Cf. Acts 4:11-12; Ephesians 2:19-22; 1 Peter 2:4-8). Jesus is a living Stone, the Chief Cornerstone, whom man has rejected. But those who believe will be fitted together to build a living temple, a spiritual house to bring praise to God.

Jesus was God Himself, flawless, chosen by God to be our Savior. He came to save Israel, they rejected Him. But to whoever receives Him, He gives the right to become children of God, even to those who believe on His name (John 1:12). So the surprise is that it is God’s choice that matters, not mans’ choice.

There will be no other cornerstone for building up the new people of God. He has already come in Jesus. He is building us together as the church, a living dwelling place for God.

The religious leaders knew that Jesus was the Messiah; but they did not want Him ruling over them. They killed Jesus, rather than embrace Him and be saved. The surprise is that God does not let fallen man defeat Him.

In my life, it became very obvious that I did not get chosen for secular jobs, because God had a different calling and role for me. Man’s rejection can be God’s selection. Don’t lose heart. Being chosen and accepted by God is a far better destiny, than being rejected by God and accepted by man.

May you be surprised and delighted about God’s choice and plans for you!

Award-winning columnist Dr. Ed Jordan is pastor of Gwynn’s Island Baptist Church, Gwynn, VA. He can be reached at szent.edward@gmail.com.