Rejection stings, but it’s part of life.
Regardless of what type of rejection we experience, whether it be in sales, fundraising, personal relationships, it still stings. The hurt of rejection can cause us to get angry and feel the need for revenge or we can process through the immediate hurt and get to a place of complete trust and maybe never understanding why.
That’s a tough one. Never understanding the “why.” In the last few months, I’ve experienced rejection more often than usual as a church planter trying to get things up and running for launch day. It’s frustrating when people say they have your back and they don’t. It’s hurts when people you thought you could count on are nowhere to be found. I’ve come to realize that God wants our total dependence on Him. Not our relationships and not on our resources, but complete abandon to Him alone. Here are a few things I’m learning through rejection…
1. Don’t become a victim.
This is a usual first response. It’s to throw a huge pity party and invite everyone on Facebook and Twitter to join us. Fight this temptation with everything in you. You are a victor in Christ, seated with Him in heavenly places! Far from a victim!
2. Put down your weapons.
We think revenge would be awesome. Blasting someone in front of everyone else seems like it would be gratifying but in reality, it would just make things worse. Seriously, this is where we must trust in the supernatural grace of God and our relationship with Him as sons and daughters. When we cast cares on God, He is our defender and He will make it right in His time.
I have a few more of these points coming in the next blog post, so stay tuned!