DROPPED

"But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light: Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy". 1 Peter 2:9-10

Dropped. Drop the ball. Drop out of school. Drop kick. Drop a dime. Drop a bomb. Tear drop. Rain drop. Pin drop. Dew drop. Either way something fell, or failed, or quit, or hit bottom. "You've been dropped". Equally harsh- "I'm dropping you". They're not nice phrases to hear, but hearing them doesn't jump start Armageddon either. Yep, I've been dropped before. I was chatting a while back with an Atlanta friend and he shared that a number of artists had been dropped from their record labels. The reason given was disappointing record sales. "The project was great", he said of one artist," but they only sold 5,000 units". He said it with such disdain, it only multiplied the notion that everything good is not necessarily financially profitable.

The fact that somewhere, 5,000 people willingly spent money to acquire music and actually liked it, meant nothing. Somewhere 5,000 people were being encouraged, blessed, edified, even entertained. It's funny how numbers can be great or small depending on the situation. Five thousand dollars. Five thousand free minutes. Five thousand shares. Five thousand square feet. Five thousand miles. Five thousand years. Five thousand seats. Five thousand troops. Five thousand screaming fans. Five thousand casualties. Five thousand units of blood. Five thousand units of affordable housing. Five thousand fabulous pairs of shoes...In Recording Land the number 5,000 of anything shipped and or sold has no shock value and is nothing to applaud. Five thousand, contrary to what every 5 year old thinks, is suddenly not a large number. Five thousand has no significance. Five thousand, in many cases spells failure.

In Christian circles, however, 5,000 is forever etched in our minds as the number of hungry men who sufficiently dined in a desert after Jesus said grace. It's not that the number of people was so great, it's what Jesus had to work with that makes for a great story. What one child had to offer, placed in the right, capable, caring, competent hands satisfied a multitude. Since the apostles got the ingredients for the feast from a kid, we have to assume there were women and children who weren't counted. So much for reliable data. Even after the meal was served there were 12 baskets of leftovers- maybe pre-happy meals for the apostles who never would have witnessed the miracle had they gotten their way. They were probably hot, tired, and hungry. They wanted Jesus to get rid of the crowd that was following him. Too much work. Too little attention paid to their needs. Well intentioned or not, they really were consistent at urging Jesus to get rid of people. I guess if you're hanging out with Jesus you might be a little selfish and over-protective and want to keep all that anointing to yourself- but that would be YOUR plan- not his. Removing his plan from any equation is a sure sign of impending failure. It's vitally important to operate according to his principles, stick to the vision He gives, and not get happy and attempt to assimilate our agendas into His.

Knowing, acknowledging, and recognizing who He was, and who sent Him was the difference between life and death, healing and sickness, freedom and bondage, forgiveness and condemnation for many. Imagine the weight of remorse of those near the cross when it finally occurred to them who they'd just murdered. This man really was the Son of God. Look how we treated him. Some folk really didn't comprehend who He was quickly enough. They were too busy with their own plans to know who they had in their presence. Some were too wrapped up in their own importance. Others were too fixed on how they could profit. Yet others were bent on manipulating him. He was despised for no good reason. I suppose we can't always say the same when faced with difficult situations. When Jesus didn't conform, and meant to be about the task God assigned him, people turned on him--- including some closest to him. Had they really known who he was, they wouldn't have tried to trip him up with religious mumbo jumbo, or insult his intelligence and omniscience, or turn him into someone he wasn't, or paint him in an unfavorable light, or diminish his power, or want him to be pompous and arrogant like an earthly king so they could have an excuse to be pompous, too. They wouldn't have tried to misuse his gifts for material gain, or turn his ministry into a circus.

The enemy wanted Jesus to perform tricks. The thief on the cross wanted him to put on a show. The rich young ruler thought Jesus would be impressed with his considerable wealth. Had they really known who he was and what he was about they wouldn't have tried to hurt him, get rid of him, discredit him, or slander him. Had they known, they wouldn't have killed him. Therein lies the irony of the Gospel. Somebody had to die so everybody else could live. Somebody had to be rejected so everybody else could be accepted. Somebody had to be dropped so others could be elevated. Somebody had to be made an example. He asked God to forgive the very people who used, abused and despised him. The very people who praised Him in an impromptu parade one week and cheered him like he was a rock star, insisted on his death the next week.

Wow. If you've been rejected, dumped, dropped, kicked to the curb or any of the other euphemisms associated with the end of associations, be encouraged. Understanding your place in Christ is vital. In the 2nd chapter of his first letter, Peter was trying hard to encourage some folk who were really down in the dumps. He wasn't blowing smoke. He really wanted them to know who they were. Self worth and personal identity can be boosted by others opinions and attitudes, but they cannot be established and maintained by others. Inadequacy, doubt, and a host of other destructive attitudes are right around the corner if ones sense of self and purpose is entangled in the thoughts and impressions, acceptance or rejection of other people. Christ was never confused about who he was or what his purpose was. Your circumstance is undoubtedly a far cry from being falsely accused, blindfolded, spat upon, whipped all night long, emaciated, or nailed to a cross. Depending on the situation it may feel like it, but keep looking up. God is still very much alive, awake, well, in control, and still opening doors.