"Whatever I do, I'm an outsider. Day by day I confirm the fact that nobody likes me, nobody needs me, I feel miserable among people who sky rocketed in their careers, got smiling families and colleagues respecting them. I can no longer stand these happy faces around us in the world that I do not fit in..." - Does this feeling seem familiar to you?
You are not alone. There are millions of us, just like you. Many of us do not belong to this world.
세상이 너희를 미워하거든 너희보다 먼저 나를 미워하였다는 것을 알아라. 너희가 세상에 속한다면 세상은 너희를 자기 사람으로 사랑할 것이다. 그러나 너희가 세상에 속하지 않을 뿐만 아니라 내가 너희를 세상에서 뽑았기 때문에, 세상이 너희를 미워하는 것이다.( 요한복음 15:18-19 )
What does this world offer to us? Feeling important and special, ability to earn money, buy a car and a big house? Receive praise from your friends confirming your acceptance and special status among them? Or it's a feeling of being better than others? Maybe enjoyment of being served by other people? Or, it's just all these gadgets your can buy and play with? Or the world's offer is an employment in a big company where you can be helping other people build their career, show your grace by promoting your direct reports or helping them with their technical challenges? Flying in first class and driving in business conferences? Publishing pictures of yourself in expensive restaurants on social networks?
That’s amazing, right? Who would not want that? Yes, indeed, let’s be honest and not deny it - it sounds attractive! However, sooner or later we will understand that none of the offers of this world will fill in the emptiness and loneliness inside of us. Then we’ll feel fooled by following the world, following the lust of that fake treasure for years and only now realizing that the praise from the friends that seemed to valuable to us all that time is nothing more than just a masked envy and hatred.
When Jesus came down to Earth and offered the freedom to people, many of them believed him, but nobody dared to acknowledge it publicly,
그들이 하느님에게서 받는 영광보다 사람에게서 받는 영광을 더 사랑하였기 때문이다.( 요한복음 12:43 )
Here we are, bound to the human praise and acceptance. Free birds bound to a golden cage. A fish attracted to a lure. Bound by a fear of other's opinion...
사람을 무서워하면 그것이 올가미가 되지만 주님을 신뢰하면 안전해진다.( 잠언 29:25 )
Yes, we do not have to try to fit into this world. We do not have to follow the desire for the values of this world, straining our souls and draining our hearts. Like plastic jewelry won’t be any match to the real genuine diamond, offers of this world will never fill the emptiness in our hearts. It will never satisfy the thirst we feel.
여러분은 세상도 또 세상 안에 있는 것들도 사랑하지 마십시오. 누가 세상을 사랑하면, 그 사람 안에는 아버지 사랑이 없습니다.( 요한일서 2:15 )
There is a source of true love, true knowledge, true path to life, the water source that we never get thirsty after.
그러나 내가 주는 물을 마시는 사람은 영원히 목마르지 않을 것이다. 내가 주는 물은 그 사람 안에서 물이 솟는 샘이 되어 영원한 생명을 누리게 할 것이다."( 요한복음 4:14 )
You may or may not know Jesus Christ (even though you have likely heard the name), who he is and where he is from. Yet, there is one thing we could see right away - he’s not of this world.
저는 이들에게 아버지의 말씀을 주었는데, 세상은 이들을 미워하였습니다. 제가 세상에 속하지 않은 것처럼 이들도 세상에 속하지 않기 때문입니다.( 요한복음 17:14 )
And he does not accept what this world has to offer.
악마는 다시 그분을 매우 높은 산으로 데리고 가서, 세상의 모든 나라와 그 영광을 보여 주며, “당신이 땅에 엎드려 나에게 경배하면 저 모든 것을 당신에게 주겠소.” 하고 말하였다. 그때에 예수님께서 그에게 말씀하셨다. “사탄아, 물러가라. 성경에 기록되어 있다.‘주 너의 하느님께 경배하고 그분만을 섬겨라. ’ ”( 마태복음 4:8-10 )
When we feel useless, abandoned, empty, not of this world, we can drink the water that Jesus offers us. It would give us the knowledge we need, so that we never feel thirsty again. He also is the right path that leads to the real treasure humans have been seeking all their life for.
예수님께서 그에게 말씀하셨다. "나는 길이요 진리요 생명이다. 나를 통하지 않고서는 아무도 아버지께 갈 수 없다.( 요한복음 14:6 )
It is natural for all of us to have a need to feel special, to feel loved just the way we are. Everybody knows that we are created by God’s image. But we easily forget how special we are in God’s eyes.
네가 나의 눈에 값지고 소중하며 내가 너를 사랑하기 때문이다. 내가 너 대신 다른 사람들을 내놓고 네 생명 대신 민족들을 내놓는다.( 이사야 43:4 )
We may still feel an urge to do something useful in our lives and get rid of that feeling of uselessness. For that we need to understand that the most important thing for us is to be found… Our heavenly father will leave everybody else just to find you, the lost sheep…
그가 양을 찾게 되면, 내가 진실로 너희에게 말하는데, 길을 잃지 않은 아흔아마리보다 그 한 마리를 두고 더 기뻐한다.( 마태복음 18:13 )
Let’s look deeper inside and see where the disturbing feeling of uselessness is coming from and where it is leading us to. If the feeling wants us to seek for human acceptance or praise, then think twice before letting that feeling take over you. But if what you are feeling is driven by the love to God or your love to others who you can help in their time of need, then go for it! For God is with you, and he has a plan for you.
나는 너희를 위하여 몸소 마련한 계획을 분명히 알고 있다. 주님의 말씀이다. 그것은 평화를 위한 계획이지 재앙을 위한 계획이 아니므로, 나는 너희에게 미래와 희망을 주고자 한다.( 예레미야 29:11 )
If you are still unsure what is the plan that God has for you, just pray… And then look around. Maybe you are already on the right path?
나는 너희에게 평화를 남기고 간다. 내 평화를 너희에게 준다. 내가 주는 것은 세상이 주는 것과 같지 않다. 너희 마음이 산란해지는 일도, 겁을 내는 일도 없도록 하여라.( 요한복음 14:27 )