LIVING ABOVE REJECTION
To
‘Reject’ means:
1.
To
refuse to accept or consider something
2.
To
refuse to accept somebody for a job, position, etc
3.
To
decide not to use, sell, publish, etc something because its quality is not good
enough.
4.
To
fail to give a person enough care or affection.
Rejection means something that cannot be
used or sold because there is something wrong with it. It also means a person
who has not been accepted as a member of a team, society, etc.
·
Have
you ever felt rejected because you felt you’re not good enough?
·
Have
you been rejected because people around you or at work see you as ‘a day
dreamer’?
·
Have
you felt rejected because of the errors you’ve made in the past?
·
Have
you been rejected by those who think you’re a fanatic?
·
Have
you been rejected because of your progress in your calling?
Then
I welcome you to the path of destiny. You’re unstoppable!
In
solving how to handle or manage rejection, we’ve to look at good characteristic
personalities in the scriptures who went through and came out victoriously. But
before that we should understand that rejection is a common ingredient to a
balanced life. Being rejected or having a feeling of rejection from someone is
one of those things you MUST go through on your ladder of success.
REJECTION IS A MUST!
Anyone
who is always accepted in whatever he or she does is doing nothing. Life is
program in such a way that pressure comes to those who are moving. Someone has
once said that “life will not give you what you want or desire but what you
demand!”
Jesus
said “woe is you if ALL men spoke well of you” (Luke 6:26)
Greatness
comes with responsibility and criticism. No truly great person that didn’t face
one form of rejection or the other. We’re living in a world where people have developed
itching ears. They only want to hear what they want to hear. Any form of
correction incurs their wrath.
·
You
must not live your life pleasing everybody
TWO SIDES TO
REJECTION
There’re two (2) sides to rejection:
a.
To
Build b. To Pull down
Rejection
can either build you or pull you down, and it all depends on you. Nobody can
make you feel bad without your permission. You choose to be happy. One of Satan’s
three (3) fold agenda is to Steal, and once he succeed in stealing your joy,
you’ve given him direct access to take your life. So you either allow it to
build you up by learning how to manage it or it pulls you down.
Many
years ago I felt rejected because I felt I was not good enough. I had an
inferiority complex. I felt like, instead of coming out boldly and make mistakes;
I rather stay in my shelf. But through the help of the HolySpirit I overcame
such attitude.
EXAMPLES OF
PEOPLE WHO LIVED ABOVE REJECTION
1.
JOSEPH ( Gen. 37:18-28; 39:1-23)
Joseph,
a favored child of God was rejected by his brothers, master’s wife and his
master.
Why
was he rejected?
a.
Because
of his dreams
He had a big dream. He had a dream
of how tomorrow will be like and because of that his brothers hated him.
b.
He
had the fear of God
It was the fear of God that made him
enter into trouble. What others consider as piece of bread to eat and clean
mouth, he consider as a great sin. The fear of God that he had, though placed
him inside prison, yet became a stepping-stone to where God destined for him.
How
did he live above it?
The same thing that brought him in
was what took him out. He sticks to his dreams and never lost the fear of God
in his heart (Gen.41).
·
Don’t
allow rejection to make you feel bitter and angry – Duncan Williams.
1.
JOB (Job 2:9)
Job was one of the few men who went
through hell on earth. He was not only accused and rejected; his rights were taken
from him. Both his wife and friends rejected him.
How
did he live above it?
- He maintain his trust in God
Job 13:15 “Though he slays me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.”
2.
Isaac
Gen. 26:12-16 says “12 ¶ Then Isaac sowed in that land, and
received in the same year an hundredfold: and the LORD blessed him. {received:
Heb. found}
13 And the man waxed great, and went forward,
and grew until he became very great: {went...: Heb. went going}
14 For he had possession of flocks, and
possession of herds, and great store of servants: and the Philistines envied
him. {servants: or, husbandry}
15 For all the wells which his father's
servants had digged in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines had
stopped them, and filled them with earth.
16 And Abimelech said unto Isaac, Go from us;
for thou art much mightier than we.”
Isaac was mightily blessed and the
king of the Land rejected him. So, when someone rejects you because of your
gifting or talents or greatness, rejoice, for great is your reward in heaven.
Don’t hate them, rather pray for them. The more you pray for them, the more the
Lord enlarges your coast. Even if what belongs to you was taken from you, allow
love reign in your heart. Refuse bitterness in your heart. Practice what I call
“the principle of advance forgiveness”. This principle states that “for every
offence to be committed by the living or has been committed by the dead whether
known or unknown, I agree and have settle it in my heart that I will let go of
it stings and forgives whosoever commit such offence once I receive such
knowledge.”. with this, you constantly block your heart from any form of
bitterness and experience freshness of God’s grace and mercy.
How did he live above it
Vs 17-19 says “And Isaac departed thence, and pitched his tent in the valley of
Gerar, and dwelt there.
18 And Isaac digged again the wells of water,
which they had digged in the days of Abraham his father; for the Philistines
had stopped them after the death of Abraham: and he called their names after
the names by which his father had called them.
19 And Isaac's servants digged in the valley,
and found there a well of springing water.”
- He digged again – Try again
When failure or defeat knocks at
you, try again!
When people take what belongs to
you, bounce back and never give up!
The battle is not over until you
win!
I hear the story of the man who
founder “five-star hotel”. It was said that he made so much money from the
inherited business. After sometime, unfortunately the whole place was set
ablaze and in one day, he was penniless. The press asked him what he will do
now that everything he has is gone. He said, I may have lost all my money but
have not everything. I can see a five-star hotel in this place. He didn’t give
and in few years, his dream became a reality. Never, ever give up trying. Reach
out for more and try again!
3.
Jesus
Christ
Our Lord Jesus Christ also faced
rejection from men and from God. When Christ started, he had 12 disciples;
afterward 70, then 120, then multitudes. But when he started hammering
hard-truths, the multitudes left him, then the 120, then the 70. Afterward He
asked the 12 why they don’t want to follow the rest. Peter answered for them
yet He still said, one of you is a devil (Jn. 6:66-70).
Why
was He rejected?
- He was rejected for speaking the raw truth
Christ
was rejected because of the raw truth which he spoke.
Isaiah
chapter 53 shows a picture of what Christ went through on his cross.
“2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant,
and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we
shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
3 He is despised
and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as
it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he hath
borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken,
smitten of God, and afflicted.”
How
did he live above it?
- Christ refuses to complain
Isa. 53:7 “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet
he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a
sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.”
Complaining
makes you not to see where God is taking you to. Many people when they’re
rejected, they spend their time complaining and wonder why things are not
changing.
- Christ despised the shame
Heb.12:1-2 says “Wherefore seeing we
also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside
every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with
patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher
of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross,
despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
‘Despising
the shame’ is not allowing it to settle in your heart. Refuse to give the enemy
a hold in your life.
You
start feeling rejection when you allow depression in your heart! Depression is
the wife to rejection! Joy is your greatest asset when it comes to enjoying the
blessing of God.
Isa. 12:3 says “Therefore with joy
shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.”
Without
joy, you remain in the soil! Rejoice always, and again I say, rejoice!
Celebrate despite the works of the devil. For “Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou
anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.” (Ps.23:6)
Celebrate
the Lord for victory yet unborn.
Summary:
The
stories of the four (4) personalities on how they went through rejection and
overcame it can be summarized into these:
How
to live above rejection
1.
Still
believe in your dreams
2.
Still
trust God who gave you the dreams
3.
Refuse
to complain
4.
Despise
the shame by giving thanks and being joyful
5.
Maintain
the fear of God in your heart.
By Evang. Emma .C.
Innocent
(+234-7064682872,
+234-7088138023)(Email: belovedmessenger4christ@yahoo.co.uk)
great
ReplyDeletethank sir
ReplyDeleteit is really wonderful and encouraging by ceejay
ReplyDeletethanks
ReplyDelete