What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? – Romans 8:31 NLT
Rejection has a way of destroying lives. It can be described as the emotional response to not feeling accepted by others. It most often is accompanied by feelings of shame, guilt, and condemnation. When we experience rejection, we tend to push others away or withdraw from meaningful relationships. We feel unworthy, undervalued, and unimportant.
These feelings often bury deep within the heart and soul because of prolonged spiritual or emotional wounds we’ve experienced throughout our lives. Rejection affects all of us at some point in time.
One of the reasons rejection wounds are felt so deeply and significantly is because the very identity of who we are and our purpose in life feels under attack. When we question our identity, our sense of worthiness or value is challenged. This wounding even causes some of us to question our importance to God and the world around us.
The enemy of our soul uses the feelings of rejection to attack believers in his attempt to destroy our lives, relationships, and even future hopes and dreams. God never intended for us to feel rejected or abandoned, especially by Him. Our Heavenly Father desires for us to know who we are, and how deeply He loves, accepts, and favors us as His children.
We can experience all of this when we are rooted and grounded in our grace identity found only in Christ. His unconditional love ringing in our hearts daily, “If God is for us, who can ever be against us?”
As a child, I was deeply affected by my parent’s dysfunction. Their often unsuccessful attempts to discipline always turned into words that can only be described as rooted in “shame.” Shame is the painful feeling that goes beyond guilt, a sense that you have done something wrong, it morphs into the belief that somehow there must be something wrong with you. Ultimately, I believed I must be so worthless and invaluable that it was impossible for anyone to like me.
Rejection can cause us to look to others for love and acceptance opening us up to experience even more rejection because our identity is not rooted in Christ. The truth is we were all created to be loved, accepted, and appreciated. Rejection starves us from the love and acceptance we were designed for in Christ to receive and abide in. When we see that the true source of love and acceptance is found in God’s love, our identity is secure and we have our grace identity.
Dig Deeper
1. Have you ever experienced the feeling of rejection?
2. How did that experience change your feelings about yourself?
3. Rejection is a distortion of God’s image and identity replaced by another negative image and view of oneself! Are you able to look back at moments in your past when rejection assumed its control in your life, shaping your present view of yourself and reality?
4. Read Ephesians 3:19 and ask yourself if you really have accepted the fact that God loves you unconditionally!
5. How can you develop some healthy immediate changes to help you overcome the present grip of rejection in your life?
