Overcoming Rejection
Sometimes in life we all will face rejection, in one form or another. It can be especially hurtful if it's a loved one rejecting you through abandonment, neglect or divorce. We might have rejection, neglect or abandonment as well in our childhood which makes us more cautious about making new friends and keeping loved ones close to us as we get older.
But, as believers we need to love others, forgive others and be gracious just as God loves us, has forgiven us and is gracious to us.
Col 3:13 KJV -
13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
As believers, when we live godly, we also sometimes experience rejection because people are essentially rejecting Christ in their own lives and they do not want to see Christ living through us. They might experience conviction around us because of our chaste and godly lifestyle and instead of turning to God to save them and to sound grace doctrine, they would rather just not be around us. Thus, they reject us.
The Apostle Paul experienced a lot of rejection. He is the apostle for us in the dispensation of grace, and because he was specially appointed by the risen and ascended Lord Jesus Christ to be our Apostle sharing the Gospel of the grace of God for a new dispensation and getting many believers established in foundational grace doctrines and further stablished in more advanced doctrine, he faced a lot of persecution and rejection.
2Ti 4:10 KJV -
10 For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.
2 Corinthians 11:23-28 KJB
23 Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.
24 Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.
25 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;
26 In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;
27 In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
28 Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.
Yet, because he understood Gods great love for us, that people were on their way to hell and needed to hear the gospel, and he also kept in mind that he was "complete in Christ" and Christ was in Him, and that we have a blessed hope, a heavenly inheritance and all spiritual blessings in Christ, he then kept his focus on the Lord and the work of the ministry and he overcame any depression that may have at times come up. He thought of God first, others next and himself last. It's God's Spirit in our spirit and His word working effectually in us that helps us overcome any depression, anxiety or stress due to rejection and even persecution. It's also God's Spirit in our spirit and His word working effectually in us that brings us true joy, peace and hope.
It's important to understand that you WILL face rejection at times in life no matter what, but even moreso as a believer and you will experience persecution in one form or another as you live godly. If we just "go with the flow" and follow after Satan's course for this world and try to fit in, we will probably make more friends (they won't even really be true friends!) but we won't be living unto God! Then, we will suffer loss at the believers judgment seat of Christ. Plus, living worldly leads to self-condemnation and "bad fruit". Just read the whole book of Proverbs!
2Ti 3:12 KJB
12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
No matter what we suffer, including rejection from other people, nothing can separate us from God's love for us.
Romans 8:35, 38-39
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
38For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Also, whatever we suffer now for godly living is nothing compared to the glory that we will experience in the heavenly places.
Romans 8:18 KJB
18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Anytime you face rejection or persecution, remember just how much God loves you. As a believer, you are NOT rejected by him even when you might sometimes mess up!
Eph 3:19 KJB
19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
2Co 13:14 KJB
14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.
Rom 5:5 KJB
5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
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