rejection

Rejection is something that effects us all, it is one of the greatest undiagnosed and therefore untreated diseases in the body of Christ. It destroys lives and relationships. But it not only effects Christians, it effects everyone around the world in some way or another, and I am sure that all of you have felt the sting of rejection sometime in your lives.

Its something that God has been teaching me a lot about the last week or so, and it really does amaze me!!!

When I was growing up, I was rejected by my real father, he didn�t want anything to do with me and still doesn�t. Then when I started school, I was the constant target of bullies, it use to cripple me, and believe it is why I am a shy and withdrawn person now. {But I believe God had His plan in that, cause I know that He has set me out to reach out to other �shy� people. Something that someone told me when I was growing up, which really hit me was�.. An outgoing, loud person can not reach out to a shy person, they would feel intimidated and all.. and vice versa, it just don�t work, but anyways}�Being rejected in life is an inevertible thing, its just going to happen to us! Hard as that is to accept, its truth.

Along with the many other things that Christ suffered while He was on this earth, rejection was one of them. He felt it badly, yet it did not stop Him!!!! He went on doing the work that God has called Him to do.

I am sure you all know what rejection is, what it feels like, but do you know what to do when it happens? That in itself is something that can really cripple us. We get stuck in a pit, with no idea how to get out of it.

Overcoming rejection.

Firstly we need to receive Gods love and acceptance. And that means firstly getting saved, and as I think everyone here is, we need to secondly learn to accept His love for us and acceptance. That can be hard sometimes, especially when all through your life, all you have know is rejection, partically from a father figure. And it can be then hard to accept that Heavenly Father figure can love and accept you as you are. It�s a process, and takes time, and often involves healing of some sort.
We also need to understand that Jesus understand rejection Himself.

A second thing that I believe is very helpful in overcoming rejection is being filled with the Holy Spirit. Some of my favourite verses in Romans is in chapter 8, and it says � For you did not receive the spirit of bondage to fear again, but you received the spirit of adoption by whom you cry out ��Abba Father�. The spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs- heirs of God, joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.� To have such a spirit dwelling within us that witnesses to our spirit that we are children of God, what an awesome thing that is!!!!! And its important that we understand that acceptance is something caught by revelation than taught. You can never be taught something like that, its something that God has to reveal to us! And I will tell you ladies, once you get that revelation, oh my!!! Your life will never be the same!!!!

I think another part of overcoming rejection is to know that we are going to be rejected. John 15:18-19 says � If the world hates you , you know that it hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.� Because we are chosen by Him, we ARE going to be rejected. But we can find strength and encouragement in Christ, knowing that He has felt it, understands it and is always with us!!!

Something that has been huge with me with overcoming rejection has been the fact that I have needed to change the way I think. We all know the verse that says, so a man thinks in his head so he is. This is something that I am very passionate about, cause I know the power that is in our thinking. We need to allow the Word to change our minds. There are soooo many promises in the Word that says we are accepted, loved and secure in Christ, and that is all that is important!!! I spent many years depressed cause I kept getting rejected by people, I kept asking the same questions� whats wrong with me? Why don�t people like me? But I have finally realised that it does not matter what other think of me, I can be alone in this world [not that I ever will be, cause God did not create us to be alone], but as long as I know who I am in Christ, I am going to be ok!!

I think another important part of overcoming rejection is to be part of a loving family, and that does not always mean a blood earthly sorta family, but more a church family. Its through a loving church family that we come to know the love of God. Is through people in a church that Christ passion is revealed. I can use an incident with my mum over the weekend as an example. She think she is so unworthy of any friendships because of all that is happening to her at the moment, she blows people away from my church and does not talk to anyone, but so many people are reaching out to her, and I think yesterday she finally realised that. That not all people are out to get her and to reject her. I think that breaks people, when they realise that there are caring people out there, that just want to help where they can, not cause they feel sorry for you, but cause they love and care for you!! And that�s whats important about being part of a good church. A church can build up its members or tear them down.

Don�t agree with satans assessment of your life, that you are rejected, unwanted and unloved, cause they are all lies!! Such lies come from the father of all lies, from the bit of hell, and we are not to believe them!! We are accepted, loved and worth so very much to Christ!! Sometimes it is hard to see and accept that that is all we need in this world, but it really is and when you can reach that point where you can say, �yes! I am accepted and chosen by Christ, I am secure in Him, and that is all I need in life.� What freedom it can bring!! And I will tell you, when you can say that.. and you are faced with rejection, cause remember it is going to happen, it wont hit ya so hard, you will rebound quickly!! Unscarred and stronger!!