What Do You Do With Rejection?

She was my Missionette (The name of the girl’s group in our church.) Mom. She was a powerful woman of God and the women’s ministry leader. With church and raising four children, she was one busy lady! I picked her to be my Missionette Mom. She explained to me how busy she was and only reluctantly agreed to fill that roll. While I didn’t really understand how busy she was, I wanted to be around her, so I offered to help her. That didn’t work out very well either. My mom wasn’t real happy about me ironing clothes at her house, when there were clothes to be ironed at mine.

After months of almost no interaction with my Missionette mom, I voiced my insecurity and disappointment with “I don’t think you like me as much as I like you.”

With the wisdom that comes with hind sight, I can imagine those words were painful, but her response has shaped my life and ministry.

Pat, she responded calmly,

“Don’t see how much you can be loved. See how much you can love.”

I was reminded of those words again just recently.

I had expected a response from a friend that I didn’t get. My response was to feel rejected. I wrestled with my feelings. Tried to ignore it. Tried to get over it.

I tried to understand the root of the situation.

• Did I have unrealistic expectations?
• Was there something I had done that had caused the rejection I felt?
• Was there a piece of the puzzle that I wasn’t privileged to see?
• Why was I feeling so needy?

Only honest conversation with my friend could uncover the root.

Some people will never like you.
Sometimes you will be rejected.

The truth remains that sometimes we will love people and they will do us wrong.

Sometimes the very people we have served and prayed with and given money to will stab us in the back.

You may be the subject of gossip or even open hostility.

Rejection is never easy to handle!

It’s not just children…

Even adults are subject to peer pressure.
We go through life like the donkey in “Shriek”, “Pick me! Pick me!”

It’s time to pick yourself.

Discover who you are by being rooted and grounded in God’s love.

Rooted in God’s purpose.

Ephesians 3:17 NLT
Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.

 

Don’t allow people’s rejection to deflate you!

Again and again my heavenly Father reminds firmly,

“I haven’t sent you to be loved. I’ve sent you to be love.”

And again and again I go running into His presence saying,

“I can’t! I can’t! I don’t have any more love to give. I’m empty. I’m drained.”

And in the midst of my frustration, I don’t hear Him say anything.

But I know Him well enough to snuggle into His open arms.

Then I hear Him whisper,

“I’ll give you some of mine. I’ve got plenty.”

It’s there in His presence that I experience His love, receive His love. He never pours in just the adequate supply to meet my need. He is lavishing with His love. He is extravagant with it! His overflow is intended to be carried and shared and lavished on those around me.

It is God’s plan that we receive His love, so we can be buckets carrying His love and His presence into places and to people that need it so desperately.

Empty buckets bring no refreshing.
Full buckets have been to the source.

Becoming a container of His love is a choice.

1. It means we must choose to reject rejection.
2. Receive God’s love.
3. See through God’s eyes.
4. Give what you’ve been given.

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