It is said that there are only two things which are certain in life - death and taxes. I want to add a third one - rejection! You don't have to live very long in this life before someone rejects you. And when they do, wow, does it ever cut so deeply into our soul. It really hurts!
Why do people reject us? It is a symptom of the sins of their own flesh. Real quickly, how should we define sin? Romans 14:23 (...everything that does not come from faith is sin) tells us sin is any time a person is living life without depending on God. What is flesh? It is the patterns of sin we develop when we do not depend on Christ in us. For example, perfectionism may arise from a desire to do things perfectly to try to control my world. If you are a neurosurgeon, please be a perfectionist! That is OK. If we are parents and we require perfection of our kids, that is not OK! It communicates rejection. We are trying to control them.
That is just one example of how the flesh can inflict rejection on a person. A sin can convey rejection to those around us.
How do we deal with rejection? First recognize that you have felt rejection. Second, sit down with God and be honest about the rejection, then choose to forgive the person who rejected you. Finally, in prayer affirm to God that He unconditionally accepts you because He made you acceptable by giving you your new identity in Christ.
We may also need to lovingly confront the person about their rejection behavior. Before we do this, let's make sure we have really prayed about it to make sure that is what our Father wants us to do in this situation. Sometimes, all we need to do is forgive. Other times, we need to forgive and confront in love. Read Matthew 18:1-17.
If you are stuck in your feelings of rejection, we would love to walk with you to help you experience God's healing. At Grace Life International, we have all been there and are available to help you in person, by phone or by Skype. For more information, please call us at 704-522-9026. You can also visit us on the web at www.GraceLifeInternational.com
Live Free In Christ,
Mark Maulding, President and Founder
www.GraceLifeInternational.com
All Content Copyright © 2012 Mark Maulding
Why do people reject us? It is a symptom of the sins of their own flesh. Real quickly, how should we define sin? Romans 14:23 (...everything that does not come from faith is sin) tells us sin is any time a person is living life without depending on God. What is flesh? It is the patterns of sin we develop when we do not depend on Christ in us. For example, perfectionism may arise from a desire to do things perfectly to try to control my world. If you are a neurosurgeon, please be a perfectionist! That is OK. If we are parents and we require perfection of our kids, that is not OK! It communicates rejection. We are trying to control them.
That is just one example of how the flesh can inflict rejection on a person. A sin can convey rejection to those around us.
How do we deal with rejection? First recognize that you have felt rejection. Second, sit down with God and be honest about the rejection, then choose to forgive the person who rejected you. Finally, in prayer affirm to God that He unconditionally accepts you because He made you acceptable by giving you your new identity in Christ.
We may also need to lovingly confront the person about their rejection behavior. Before we do this, let's make sure we have really prayed about it to make sure that is what our Father wants us to do in this situation. Sometimes, all we need to do is forgive. Other times, we need to forgive and confront in love. Read Matthew 18:1-17.
If you are stuck in your feelings of rejection, we would love to walk with you to help you experience God's healing. At Grace Life International, we have all been there and are available to help you in person, by phone or by Skype. For more information, please call us at 704-522-9026. You can also visit us on the web at www.GraceLifeInternational.com
Live Free In Christ,
Mark Maulding, President and Founder
www.GraceLifeInternational.com
All Content Copyright © 2012 Mark Maulding
