Rejection is never pleasant, and Robert knew all about it.
Ronnie was a member of the first church I pastored. He and
his family were faithful members as well as hard workers. But he faced the
daily pain of rejection. His brother lived next door but rarely spoke to him.
Years before, a family dispute had disrupted their relationship. Ronnie received most of the family estate when their father died—but only because he paid
for it. His brother didn’t believe that, however. All he could see was
favoritism. He took out his anger through acts of rejection. One was by rarely
speaking to his brother. The other was by building a fence between their
houses.
Although it was his fault, King Saul of Israel knew the
pain of rejection—and from a higher source. Saul had a habit of disobeying
God’s commands. Finally, God had enough and took the kingship from him.
God isn’t in the business of rejection. Had Saul repented,
God would have restored his relationship with him—even though the consequence
of losing the kingdom would have held. Once we enter God’s family, we’re there
for good. He’ll never turn or throw us away unless we choose not to believe in him.
Unfortunately, others don’t always act as God does.
Regardless of whom rejection comes from, it hurts. By its
very nature, rejection is painful. God rejected Saul for disobedience,
but others might reject us for numerous reasons. Rejection can come from our
appearance, intelligence, or what we have or don’t have. Or because we hurt
someone, because we don’t fit in, because we have an education, or because they
found someone else.
Trusting God for peace when we’ve experienced rejection is
always wise. No one or thing can give peace as he can. Even though someone has
broken our trust, it’s also important that we don’t stop trusting everyone just
because of what we’ve experienced with one. Not everyone will reject us. We can
also find comfort by reading God’s Word, reading other Christian material, and praying.
In times of rejection, having a good group of Christian friends is equally
important. Because they have experienced Christian love, they know how to
support and comfort us.
When others reject you, rejoice that God never does.
Father, thank you for allowing me to run to your arms of
security and comfort when others reject me.
I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing in eBook or paperback. If you seek hope and healing because of the hurts you have faced, this book is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.
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