Today I thought about rejection and how devastating it is for many people. By nature, we all want to be loved and, in some way, needed, and sometimes find it hard to bounce back from being rejected. However, there is a way to never allow the negative effects of rejection to take ahold of our minds. Let’s discover the truth about what is factually ours as believers in Christ.
In Genesis 37:3-4 of the bible, we find the story of a young man by the name of Joseph who faced major rejection with harsh consequences from his brothers.
“Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made an ornate robe for him. When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.”
His brothers decided to sell him into slavery, though they had initially considered to do worse: kill him. Talk about being rejected; how worse could it get? However, thankfully, the bible says the Lord was with Joseph. His master saw it, as the Lord made all he did to prosper, and he was made overseer of his master’s house. He then spent some no-fault time in prison where he even received God’s favor there with a leadership position. Joseph was later placed by Pharaoh over all the land of Egypt and in the end, those same brothers found themselves bowing, during a great famine, before the very one they sold into slavery.
There are many situations where we might face rejection with varying degrees of sorrow. It may come through denial of a new job, relationship, or business transaction, among other things. Sometimes, we may be rejected by family members, job managers, or school and church associates. However, God has provided us with many precious promises regarding the rewards of love for, and obedience to, Him. No doubt these promises would quell the effects of rejection:
Psalm 19:8,11, “…The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes…Moreover by them Your servant is warned, and in keeping them there is great reward.”
Psalm 37:4, “Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.”
Matthew 6:33, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you”.
Romans 10:11, “For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”
Hebrews 11:6, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”
Matthew 7:7, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”
Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
So, if we are seeking God, and have these and more precious promises, why would we ever allow ourselves to stay sorrowful or dismayed over rejection, other than a lack of faith or impatience?
Let me encourage you to trust the fact that God knows you more than you know yourself. He knitted you together in your mother’s womb. He is sovereign and omnipotent, well able to supply the best that you need in all things. The question is, will you believe Him and submit these things to Him?
I’ve decided to believe Him. Life is so much easier to live placing all things, including the hard things like rejection into His hands to handle. Whatever you may have lost, in whatever way you feel alone or abandoned, He is big enough to replace or fulfill the void. “For He satisfies the longing soul and fills the hungry soul with goodness. ” (Psalm 107:9)
Determine to stay free, hopeful and expectant to receive God’s blessings of fulfillment in the midst of any rejection. Whatever He has promised, along with what you are able to yield to Him, He is faithful to accomplish in your life.
Ms. Rita's Minute 