Overcoming Rejection

by Gail Allen

Rejection.
That's not a word any of us want to hear, nor feel! Unfortunately, when we spend time with our friends and family, it's easy to feel that way. Especially if our families are less than accepting of who we truly are. It all boils down to the result of someone feeling unwelcome to show up and/or as their most authentic self.

When someone rejects us, ultimately they're telling us they don't assign worth and value to us. For many of us, that brings up feelings of not fitting in that we may have experienced as a child or teenager. We're often given this message that as we grow up we're supposed to stop caring about rejection. 

In my opinion however, that's absurd. As humans, we need to feel welcomed and part of our “pack” with whom we identify. When we think about the rejection of others, the phrase from Ecclesiastes comes to mind, “There's nothing new under the sun.” I'm reminded that Jesus said that a prophet is not welcome in his hometown, among his relatives.

Often, rejection is not even of that person, but of a new idea. As Christians in this country, it's easy for us to forget how radical Jesus and his message were. The people of his day rejected him and his teaching, for many reasons, but I think it's fair to say it was all summed up as fear.

When we operate from a place of fear, we have no room for love. If you feel rejected, during this season of your life, I hope that you can take comfort that you're in good company... like Jesus and many other prophets! I also hope that we can all be a little bit more mindful of how to make everyone in our community feel welcomed and accepted: much like coming to the table of God! As always, we're here for you and your support if you'd like to explore further!