Don't allow rejection to defeat you
"If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust from your feet -"
- Matthew 10:14 (NIV)
Are you feeling rejected?
Maybe your boss, teacher or business associate has rejected an idea of yours. Maybe you've been let go from your job after several years of dedicated service. Possibly you have been let down by someone you love. They refuse to take your advice and ridicule you.
When rejection comes our way, it brings that sinking feeling in the pit of our stomach. Few emotional pains of ours feel as intense as the pain of rejection.
Rejection touches every area of our lives. Friends, co-workers or others may reject us as we strive for success in our business, or pursue a personal goal. Although the rejections we experience may make us feel overwhelmed, unloved, undervalued, we have to be careful we don't allow our feelings to make us feel defeated, helpless, or undervalued and bind up our freedom to move forward regardless of what others say, think or do.
There's no man on earth who hasn't felt the sting of rejection. If you study history, you will find men and women who succeeded in their cause had to press past rejection in order to succeed.
Jesus was rejected by the people in his own hometown. The town's people just wouldn't believe the messages of hope and healing he had for them. He taught his disciples that when they encountered rejection in the towns they traveled through that they were to shake the dust from their feet and move on and continue to minister to others that wanted to know the truth.
Whenever that rejected feeling threatens us, we need to forgive the initiator of it, and shake the dust of guilt, hurt, or shame the rejection can bring and choose to think good thoughts about ourselves and not allow the rejection to collect on us and weigh us down.
As we pray to God to strengthen us to overcome it, we need to remember that although Jesus was rejected, he fulfilled God's plan for his life regardless of man's opinion of him.
Overcoming feelings of rejection is God's desire for all of our lives. Jesus promises us in the Bible verse John 6:37 that no matter how rejected we may feel, if we believe in him, he will never reject us.
That's a promise worth remembering.
• Annettee Budzban is a Christian author, speaker, life coach and nurse. She can be contacted by e-mail at AnnetteeBudzban@aol.com.