Before I begin, you need to know something about me.
I’m a Type-A, listing making, notebook keeping, people pleasing kind of girl. I have a huge desire to make a good impression, be liked and be accepted. I want the parties I throw, the relationships and friendships I have and my business to all run perfectly perfect.
The thought of not being liked, wanted or welcome makes my heart race and makes it hard to breathe.
Those are the times when I have to force myself to step back and gain perspective. Not because I want to. But because I need to.
As I said last week, rejection is hard. And not being liked is a form of rejection. How do we handle it and now allow it to creep into our innermost thoughts? I’ll share with you a few key points to remember.
People didn’t like Jesus either.
I know, it sounds like a Sunday School lesson on the flannelgraph right? But it’s actually not only encouraging but comforting to read the countless stories of Jesus being rejected too. He gets it y’all. He understands what it feels like to be rejected. The sting and the hurt. Not only that, but He dealt with it perfectly. 1 Peter 2:21 says For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps.
There are things about you that are unlikeable.
Whew, that’s a hard one y’all especially for this girl. It takes a good bit of humility to realize I’m not perfect. I have to be honest and realize there are things about me that are pretty unlikeable. My loudness, my stubbornness and my quick temper sure aren’t my strong points. When we feel rejected, it gives us an opportunity to ask God to make those areas visible to us, to help us work on them and to trust His promise that He will completely restore every single ugly and broken area of my life, in His timing.
Let it lead you to Jesus.
We have to choices when we feel rejected, feel sorry for ourselves and get angry or go to the cross. We can choose to move away from Him or towards Him. And I remind myself that God will never reject me. God is not rejecting me just because someone else has. One of Satan’s favorite lies is that because someone is rejecting me, so is God. The truth is God loves me no matter how people treat me.
Don’t respond out of anger.
When I am rejected, and hurting, I can assure you my first response isn’t godly. I’m the first to admit I have a hot head and a fat mouth. This, my friends, has taken a lot of prayer on my end.
And with gentle prompts from Him, I’ve heard be silent and keep your eyes on Me. My first response was the opposite. My goal was to hurt them just as they hurt me. God is showing me how to let mercy and grace lead the way.
Healing is possible.
Take it to God and leave it at His feet. Ask Him to heal your broken heart.
The Bible never tells us to please other people. You can search through the Bible verse by verse, front to back, and you’ll never find those words in it. But what you will find is instruction to please God. He is the most important element in our lives. And when we live to please God that may mean not pleasing everyone around us. God is reminding me that He didn’t call me to live a happy life, but a life that honors Him. And while I’m going to fail over and over again, my desire is to live the life He has called me to live.
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