The Joy of Rejection...

Been thinking a lot recently about something we all do to others and yet are devastated when others do it to us. It can be life changing, can affect relationships with friends, family and work situations. This is rejection! When was the first time you felt the devastation of rejection? Probably at school or even earlier which is very hard to cope with.

Then we build on that time and start to expect it, so we withdraw and miss out on so much potential in our relationships. In some cases we even have a string of divorces or broken friendships and we don’t understand why! We develop a victim mentality and feel very sorry for ourselves, but need to recognise we have made poor choices with painful consequences.

When we were staying in Australia earlier this year with our daughter and her husband if I needed to challenge our 7yr old granddaughter (which only happened twice when her Mum and Dad were having a well deserved break) her reaction was to back away from us and become withdrawn. God used her to speak to me so much about my reaction to Him when He disciplines me. Also when I feel guilty about something I have done wrong, even if I repent I allow feelings of rejection from God to rise in my heart even though that is totally contrary to the Word of God. Because I don’t feel forgiven I take on rejection and have been known in the past to have gone cold towards God. So I pay back rejection with rejection!

So let’s clear rejection out of our reactions to others and not receive rejection, whether real or perceived. Even if it is given to us we can choose how we respond! The only way is in love, which may look soft but how about we look at Jesus. All through His life He experienced rejection, His own brothers; His disciples left Him at the Cross; He had one who was corrupt but He didn’t reject him! On the Cross He said ‘Father forgive them for they don’t realise what they are doing.’ Could we pray this for any who have wronged us? In our own strength probably not, but in the power of His Holy Spirit we can not only forgive but actively love that person.


How? This has to be by faith in God and obedience to His Word. We pray and ask God to let us see the situation through His eyes. ‘Create in me a pure heart O God and renew a right spirit within me.’ Listen for His voice to our inner spirit and act as He directs. It is often our natural reaction to do something rather than just sit at His feet worshipping Him. He is more than able to vindicate us, ‘if God is for me who can be against me?’

Waiting on His instructions and His timing can be so humbling as this supernatural humility is vital to our growing in Christ. Remember God is the only judge so we can trust Him to teach us what He wants us to learn. Like my granddaughter needs to learn to run to my arms so we need to understand that we run to the arms of the Father who will never reject us.

‘Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go’. He never rejects me but has promised to be with me always. Joshua 1:9 and Matthew 28:20