"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.
＜世人的憎恨＞ “世人若恨你们，你们知道｛或译：该知道｝，恨你们以先已经恨我了。 你们若属世界，世界必爱属自己的；只因你们不属世界，乃是我从世界中拣选了你们，所以世界就恨你们。( 约翰福音 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,
这是因他们爱人的荣耀过于爱 神的荣耀。( 约翰福音 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...
惧怕人的，陷入网罗；惟有倚靠耶和华的，必得安稳。( 箴言 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.
不要爱世界和世界上的事。人若爱世界，爱父的心就不在他里面了。( 约翰一书 2:15 )
There is a source of true love, true knowledge, true path to life, the water source that we never get thirsty after.
人若喝我所赐的水就永远不渴。我所赐的水要在他里头成为泉源，直涌到永生。”( 约翰福音 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.
我已将你的道赐给他们。世界又恨他们；因为他们不属世界，正如我不属世界一样。( 约翰福音 17:14 )
And he does not accept what this world has to offer.
魔鬼又带他上了一座最高的山，将世上的万国与万国的荣华都指给他看， 对他说：“你若俯伏拜我，我就把这一切都赐给你。” 耶稣说：“撒但｛就是抵挡的意思，乃魔鬼的别名｝，退去吧！因为经上记着说：当拜主──你的 神，单要事奉他。”( 马太福音 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.
耶稣说：“我就是道路、真理、生命；若不藉着我，没有人能到父那里去。( 约翰福音 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.
因我看你为宝为尊；又因我爱你，所以我使人代替你，使列邦人替换你的生命。( 以赛亚书 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…
若是找着了，我实在告诉你们，他为这一只羊欢喜，比为那没有迷路的九十九只欢喜还大呢！( 马太福音 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.
耶和华说：我知道我向你们所怀的意念是赐平安的意念，不是降灾祸的意念，要叫你们末后有指望。( 耶利米书 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?
我留下平安给你们；我将我的平安赐给你们。我所赐的，不像世人所赐的。你们心里不要忧愁，也不要胆怯。( 约翰福音 14:27 )