Have you ever felt rejected?
Pretty much all of us have at one time or another.
- Maybe you were teased during your school years – just because you were different than everyone else.
- Maybe you were laid off from your job for no good reason – they said you were ‘redundant’.
- Maybe you were an unwanted child, who grew up without ever feeling love from one or both of your parents.
- Maybe you have been abused – verbally, physically or even sexually.
Experiences such as these can be very hurtful and can tend to leave wounds in your heart, whether you are aware of them or not. You feel rejected. It really hurts … deep on the inside. Naturally, when rejected we want to give up, to hold out on people, or fight back.
There are no easy answers but we can take some steps towards freedom from rejection.
- We can accept ourselves, just as we are.
- We can develop friendships with people who love and accept us.
- We can choose to forgive those who have rejected us. After all, hurt people often hurt people. Break the cycle of revenge.
Freedom from Rejection … Think about it.
Hi Mark,
While I agree this is a way to deal with or get over rejection it does not seem to me to be a specifically Christian way to deal with rejection but just common wisdom.
I am not opposed to common wisdom but I am wondering more and more if the advice we give in public forums like blogs and sermons is moving away from Christian answers as we try and include non-Christians in some manner.
What do you think?
Hi David. I think all truth is ultimately God’s truth. ‘Common sense’ is simply doing life the way God designed it. It try to give some helpful practical advice on relevant topics without being too ‘preaching’ in a public forum such as a blog (which unchruched people read), without compromising or apologising for my Christian faith. I think that’s what Jesus did with peopel he encountered. He wasn’t always quoting the Old Testament texts, unless appropriate, but he spoke truths from them either way.
Hope that helps.
Hi Mark,
I guess it is difficult, if not impossible, for someone who has never felt acceptance by others, to accept themselves. It is even more difficult for someone who has not been forgiven by any other, to forgive.
Without having first experienced forgiveness and acceptance, it would be very difficult for an individual to understand what you are trying to convey. We could tell them what to say in order to accept someone, how to feel when they forgive someone, things to do when they love another … but they will never be able to truly accept, forgive and love – until they have first experienced it themselves.
And there is only one Person who can offer us unconditional acceptance, forgiveness & love. And when that happens, no amount of teasing can ever stand in the way of returning kindness, no cycle of redundancy will ever stop us from trusting, no degree of rejection will ever stop us from accepting, and no amount of abuse will ever stop us from forgiving.
Instead of a BLOG (weB LOG), maybe it should be a CLOG (Christian LOG)? BLOGs might offer good advice, but only CLOGs can make a difference!
Yes, rejection is a complex issue and it is easy to offer trite solutions. These ‘Think About It’ BLOG posts are from some 60 second spots we’re currently preparing for the LIGHT FM radio station here in Melbourne. You can say a lot in one minute but then again you can’t give too much detail (like Bible verses!) or qualify everything you say. However, hopefully, they’ll bring some help and encouragement to many people.