“If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.” — John 15:18

One of the first details the Gospel writers give us about the life of Jesus is that there was no room for Him.

Think about the irony. The Creator of the Universe visits His own creation. The Architect of the cosmos steps into time. The Owner of all things comes to His property. And the world says, “Sorry, we’re full.”

The inns were packed. The world was busy. Commerce was flowing. People were distracted by their own agendas, their own comfort, and their own politics. So they put the King of Glory in a barn. They relegated Him to the place where animals ate.

Rejection marked Him from birth. And if you follow Him, rejection will mark you too.

Too many Christians today are desperate for a seat at the world’s table. We want to be liked. We want to be understood. We want to be accepted by a culture that is at war with our King. We dilute the truth to make “room” for ourselves in the inn of popular opinion. We soften our message so we don’t offend the innkeepers of this age.

But the Warrior Poet knows that rejection is not a sign of failure; it is a sign of alignment. If the world has no room for you, it is because you remind them of Him. If you fit perfectly into the world’s system, you have likely compromised your allegiance to the Kingdom.

Do not grieve the closed doors. Do not mourn the lost invitations to the tables of influence. Do not compromise your convictions to get a comfortable room in a dying system. The “Inn” represents the noise, the commerce, and the comfort of man. The “Stable” represents the humble, gritty presence of God.

If you find yourself on the outside—misunderstood, mocked, or ignored—lift your head. You are in good company. The stable is where the glory is. The stable is where the angels sang. The stable is where the Star pointed. The stable is where the King resides.

The Warrior’s Prayer: Lord, I accept the rejection of the world as a badge of honor. I stop trying to force my way into rooms where You are not welcome. I choose the stable over the inn. I choose Your presence over popularity. Make me comfortable with being an outsider, so that I may be an insider in Your Kingdom. Amen.