The Deception of Rejection

Wednesday morning, May 28, 2008
Rejection, be it perceived or genuine, always hurts and not one of us enjoys being hurt (well, at least most of us don’t!), which is why, for the life of me, I do not understand why mature people read rejection into almost everything, even when it is not present. I will never forget the reaction I received when I told a church member (years ago, now) that God loved her and so did I; she actually read rejection into my statement and didn’t speak to me for weeks! She interpreted my statement to mean that both God and I loved her but we were having a tough time doing it. Go figure.
It is my guess that some of you are doing the very same thing, even as I write this perspective. Someone has just spoken something to you, with no intention whatsoever of rejecting you; nevertheless, you read rejection into it. Please let it go—please! It will not only destroy you, but also your relationship with whomever spoke the words.
Jesus experienced rejection, the genuine brand, every day of His life but He did not allow it to define Him—not for a moment. In my opinion, we would be better off, if we took lessons from Him. Look at these examples and ponder His response:

Matthew 9:9-13: Jesus being rejected by sinners because of His love for
sinners.

Matthew 15:1-12: Jesus being rejected for speaking and teaching truth.

Matthew 26:30-40: Jesus being rejected by His closest friends at His time of greatest distress.

Matthew 26:55-56: Jesus being rejected by a devil whom He had befriended—
really befriended!

Matthew 26:57-75: Jesus being rejected by one of His dearest friends.

Matthew 27:46: Jesus being rejected by His Father.

Mark 3:1-6: Jesus being rejected because of His uncompromising
determination to walk in truth.

Mark 10:13-16: Jesus being rejected because of His love for children.

Luke 13:34-35: Jesus being rejected by His Father’s chosen people.

Romans 3:10-18: Jesus being rejected by you and me.

In my opinion, the reason Jesus handled rejection so well was because He knew that His Father accepted Him—no strings attached—and that mattered most to Him. HINT: Your Father accepts you—no strings attached—but is that what matters most? Your answer presents itself in the way you handle rejection, especially in how often you perceive rejection where it does not exist.