Quarterback Alex Smith has had quite the career after being taken first overall in the NFL Draft (ahead of Aaron Rodgers). He experienced the 49ers and the Chiefs choosing the younger QB to replace him, and then after playing well in Washington, he encountered a life-threatening leg injury that caused him to be out almost two years.
After 17 surgeries on his leg, Smith's career was absolutely in jeopardy and appeared to be over, but he was determined to return to the field.
Following an incredible recovery and rehab process, he completed his remarkable comeback by entering the game for Washington in week 5 last season. Smith went 5-1 in the games he started after that and won multiple awards as the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year.
But despite his amazing story of perseverance, Washington initially excluded him in their plans for the 2020 season, which led to Smith feeling rejected. He recently made these comments in an interview with GQ magazine:
"They didn't see it, didn't want me there, didn't want me to be a part of it, didn't want me to be on the team, the roster, didn't want to give me a chance. Mind you, it was a whole new regime, they came in; I'm like the leftovers and I'm hurt and I'm this liability...Heck no, they didn't want me there.”
Although it makes sense Washington had reservations about Smith's abilities after his gruesome injury, I’m sure it was tough for him to feel undesirable and unwanted by the organization while wrapping up his challenging recovery process.
Smith turned out to be an inspiring football hero last year, but his feelings of being a liability, damaged, unwelcomed, and just a leftover were real...and most likely, feelings we've experienced as well.
The truth is, sometimes people will reject us or not want us on their team and make us feel unwelcomed. Chances are, we’ve found ourselves in situations where we get the sense that people don’t want us around anymore or we perceive they don’t think we’re good enough. Admittedly, it’s brutal and unfortunate.
Or maybe we hear the lie that God doesn’t want us on His team either and believe our scars are too nasty, we’ve been through too much pain, and we have nothing to offer Him.
Thankfully, the good news is that Jesus died for us despite our nasty scars, liabilities, and shortcomings, and He still loves us and wants us to know Him and be part of His team.
Romans 5:8 (NIV) says, "But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
When we surrender to Jesus, we are accepted and welcomed and can have tremendous confidence in His grace and love. If we start thinking that we're unworthy and unwanted, or memories of our past creep in, we must remember that the King of the universe has allowed us to be united to Him.
Even if other people reject us, we can overcome that hurt because He has accepted us and that's what ultimately matters.
As followers of Jesus, the following verses fill us with hope, relief, and excitement about the truth that we will always belong and be loved.
Ephesians 2:19-22 (TLB) explains, "Now you are no longer strangers to God and foreigners to heaven, but you are members of God’s very own family, citizens of God’s country, and you belong in God’s household with every other Christian.
"What a foundation you stand on now: the apostles and the prophets; and the cornerstone of the building is Jesus Christ Himself! We who believe are carefully joined together with Christ as parts of a beautiful, constantly growing temple for God. And you also are joined with Him and with each other by the Spirit and are part of this dwelling place of God.
Romans 8:38-39 (NLT) gives us these encouraging words: "And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord." I'm Bryce Johnson and you can UNPACK that! PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you for loving me and welcoming me into Your family. Thank you for seeing beyond my scars and mistakes. Thank You, Jesus, for dying for me and for giving me a chance to be united with You. It's in Your name I pray, Amen.
Discussion Questions for PACKS:
What is your experience with feeling unwanted or rejected?
What comes to mind when you think about being united to God through Jesus and a member of His family?
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