Rejection

“And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach.” Colossians 1:21-22

A loyal company employee is laid off after twenty years. A devoted wife is divorced suddenly by her husband of fifteen years. A once faithful friend no longer desires our fellowship. The pain of rejection is strong. It attacks at the very foundation of our personality - our concept of self-worth. It is we who are rejected.

If we let the assault continue unbridled, we suffer spiritually, emotionally, and physically. We can become prime candidates for bitterness and depression. Is there a way out? Can we recover our self-esteem when another has cast us into the ditch of rejection?

Yes, we can. It is not an easy road out. But there is a biblical path that can upright us, comfort us, and restore us to wholeness. It begins by understanding that even those closest to us are capable of rejecting us. We are imperfect people who often wrongly judge and think. We are all stained by sin. Even the believer is constantly tempted to put self first.

Once we recognize this, we actually can be liberated from being hostage to the opinions of others. Our self-worth is not tied to our performance or another’s faulty judgement but to Christ’s evaluation of us. His appraisal declares us unconditionally accepted and loved.

“...I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5