71. Overcoming Rejection. Isaiah 43:4

Jesus experienced rejection. (John 1:11) ‘He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.’ But He didn’t sit around licking His wounds, No! He moved on to where people gladly did receive Him. And He told His Disciples, (Matthew 10:14) ‘Whoever will not receive you, nor hear your words, When you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet.” Repeated rejection, tends to validate the fear of our inadequacy. This is particularly so when it comes to those people whose opinions we have learned to value. But the irony of operating out of the fear of rejection is that it ultimately results in the very rejection you were trying to avoid. When people realise you hold yourself in low regard, they deal with you accordingly. You see! You teach people to value you by the way you value yourself. If you never express a preference, a boundary, or any other limitation on how others interact with you, they will assume you have no preferences, boundaries limitations etc and they will behave towards you in that manner. Notice that even though Jesus was rejected, He never responded in a way that encouraged continued rejection. He didn’t stay where He wasn’t tolerated, He went to where He was celebrated. In other words, He went to where people recognised Him and where He was received along with His person, His purpose and His Power. Jesus had God’s full acceptance, therefore, He didn’t fear man’s rejection. And you too have God’s acceptance He says in (Isaiah 43;4) “You are precious and honoured in MY sight… and I love YOU.” The first step to overcoming rejection is to keep God’s opinion of you firmly in your mind at all time In order to overcome fear of rejection you must also firmly believe that God designed you wonderfully. Physically, intellectually and temperamentally – and gave you an assignment which no one else can fulfil. Putting yourself down may seem humble, but it’s actually a form of pride because it’s causing you to reject god’s plan and design for your life. So begin to emphatically declare with the Psalmist; “Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvellous – How well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was being woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Everyday of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are your thoughts about me, Oh God (Psalm 139:14-17) Wherever did you get the idea that you were “less than”? Whether it started with critical parents, condemning clergy, unwise teachers, cruel classmates or a verbally abusive spouse, remember the Bible says in (John 8:44) that Satan is the father of lies He used someone to lie to you about your worth and potential. Repeat this three times it was a lie, it was a lie, it was a lie. Decide to reject that lie right now and also reject rejection. Now make a list of every God-given gift, asset, advantages or other benefits you possess which is or could be a blessing to others. Don’t use worldly systems when compiling your list. Focus on character issues such as integrity, loyalty, generosity, wisdom patience and discernment, Think of ways you can use each one of these features to Glorify God and be a blessing to others. The mistakes you have made in the past, may have been big ones, bad ones and often repeated ones, but they haven’t changed God’s mind about you. (Jeremiah 31:3-4) puts it this way ‘I have drawn you and you… will be rebuilt.’ Yes God will correct you when you need it, but His correction is not rejection, - it’s proof of His love for you. The book of Hebrews tells us “The Lord disciplines the one He loves” God’s purpose in discipline is to develop us to our highest potential. So don’t let anyone put you down. Be your authentic self when you’re with others. Focus on what you have to give, rather that how others perceive you. Don’t put on airs, brag or name-drop in an effort to level the playing field. You are already equal – even if you don’t have a similar education, experience, financial status, social standing or background. Since when did such things make anybody inherently superior to another – especially in the eyes of our Heavenly Father? If your goal in life is to please everyone and have them speak well of you, your self-worth will always be at their mercy. In (Proverbs 31:18) Solomon describes the qualities of a virtuous woman, here is one of them; ‘She perceives that her merchandise is good’ This woman wasn’t prideful, she was just confident in who God had made her to be and the assignment He had given her to fulfil, her confidence came from within. Solomon ends the chapter with these words ‘Honour her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise. Sometimes you may have to confront behaviour that is affecting you negatively. Jesus said in (Luke 17;3) ‘If your brother sins against you rebuke him,’ Now, that doesn’t give you the right to vent your anger or behave like the proverbial “Bull in a china shop. ” Because Jesus also said in the very next verse ‘And if he sins against you seven times in a day and returns seven times asking your forgiveness you shall forgive him’ And here’s another thought; respect the other persons decision not to pursue a relationship with you. They may not belong in your life, and you may not belong in theirs. Think about the last time you went shopping. Did you purchase every single item you examined? Of course not. Did you reject them because they were inferior. Surely not. You simply decided they were not for you. Of course, if you experience a pattern of rejection and you are baffled about the reason, you may want to consider finding out why. In Proverbs (27:6) we read ‘Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful’ Some times it’s wise to ask -- ‘I’d like to get some feedback from you for my personal development. My objective here is not to resume our relationship. I would just like to ask what it was that made you decide to terminate it. I’d really appreciate an honest feedback.’ Be sure to project an upbeat attitude, not a negative one. Listen objectively, don’t be defensive. Gather the information. And be willing to change if there is merit in what they say.. thank you for reading “Overcoming Rejection” Often people don’t understand why, or even admit they feel rejected. But understanding the status we have with our Creator is often the first step in our own revaluation of ourselves. Remember, God has made us first of all for Himself. And we are held in the palm of His hand. So any problems, talk to Him about it first God Bless us all Phaline.