I love that Jesus is all about redeeming all things. Turning the curse upside down...what was meant for evil turned to my good! That includes rejection. Since the beginning rejection has been at the root of all types of evil. Think rejecting God and rejectting Jesus. The last couple of days, I have heard two different statements about rejection that have punched me in the gut. Made me question my mindset on rejection. Seriously, I've had rejection issues my whole life(who doesn't). I read a Joyce Meyers book on it each year to help me stay on track. Rejection is a big issue in our kingdom, it is at the root of all types of strife and discord. Rejection leads to robbing the Kingdom of glory and unity.
What if Jesus want's to turn that around too(not just reverse the curse of death but also of rejection)! Rejection is meant to make me feel less than, create a bitter root in my heart, make me fearful of being myself, make me afraid to love, etc. In other words, rejection is meant to keep me from the abundant life. Keep me settling for "less than" in order to avoid the pain of rejection.
Here are the two words I have gotten in the last two days (thank you Connie and Lisa)
Rejection is protection. What? Blow my mind, why don't you? Yes, it is protection. It is a change of direction, when God knows best. It is His making sure those that would hurt us, or drag us down won't get the chance. It stings, that rejection. What's wrong with me, I want to scream. Why are you rejecting me? Years of being picked last for playground sports taught me the hard truth of rejection. It will happen. It does happen, but maybe just maybe it is not because I am the skinniest, scrawniest, most uncoordinated girl the world has ever seen, maybe it is His protection, His new direction to keep me safe and protected from something I can't possibly see because (let's face it)I can't see the future. Sometimes I think I can (I am full of myself that way) but then I realize, nope only God can see the future.
So let's review. Point number one, rejection is protection.
Point number two. What we see as rejection God sees as adoption! When we are abandoned by others God steps in and says adopted, friended, picked, accepted, etc. Before anyone else ever rejected me, He my loving Father had picked me! Chosen me...warts(and by warts I mean mostly just yucky attitudy stuff) and all. I have been looking at it all wrong, rejection just points towards the perfect adoption of a Father. The Perfect One has chosen me. Chosen you. Not that we should boast but that upon the pain of rejection we would turn to Him who will "never leave us or forsake us" and rejoice in our chosen stature.
So let's review. Point number one, rejection is protection.
Point number two, rejection points to adoption.
Once again we see that the curse is being reversed. The enemy means rejection to be his tool. Stinking devil means to take us to "stinkin-thinkin" over rejection. Make us live in fear and doubt, run from love and settle for less than the abundant life. There may always be someone that finds some fault in me that needs work, some reason to reject me. C'mon people, let's get the speck out of our own eye first. I think thats what Jesus was talking about...drop all the religous stuff. Let's just love one another and bring healing to those awful gaping holes of rejection. He has given us the power to bring healing to others and to ourselves if we can just change how we view rejectton. Looking through the eyes of God we can reverse the curse of rejection and see rejection as protection from deeper pain and it can reveal how awesome our adopted and accepted status is.
I hate rejection, as much as the next person. However, now that my mind has been substantially blown I think I can mentally reverse the curse of rejection and find myself rejoicing over His protection and adoption. He loves me, He picked me, He knows best and that is something to get deep into my heart. Maybe, the next time someone rejects me because I am too loud, too authentic, too shy, too moody, too snappy, too me(It's not easy being a Pastor's wife ya know)....I will remember these two points and just maybe it won't make me sad but instead I will be glad. Not that I don't need to work on those things...maybe I do but He is not walking away from me because of any of those things. To do so would completely negate the work of grace. He already knew all my failures and craziness before He ever picked me and still He picked me. I am not that skinny, uncoordinated little girl on the playground anymore, now I am all grown up and I suppose it's time to act like it. No more crying and fit throwing, no more fear and retreating. The greatest gift of grace (Jesus) reversed the curse of rejection, now I just have to choose to live in that place. The city on the hill known as acceptance! Let's live there together. I choose you for my team.
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