by Emily Conrad
As a writer and as a human, I’m familiar with rejection. You, too?
Yeah, I thought so.
Rejection burns and disorients. Or, at least, that’s what it’s done to me. I’m slowly learning to handle it better and to keep it in healthier perspective.
Are my responses to rejection perfect these days? Um, nope. But what follows are 30 things I aim to keep in mind next time rejection looms larger than life.
- Jesus loves you.
- No one has the right to disparage your worth.
- Reflection and self-examination lead to growth.
- Shame and despair are cries for healing in Jesus.
- None of us is right every time.
- Rejection is a reckless driver, but makes a decent lane departure warning.
- Rejection wins if you quit.
- Experiences and tastes that feed opinions vary widely. No two people think alike.
- Moods—personal, cultural, political—change. Rejection isn’t necessarily permanent.
- God will complete His purpose for you. (Psalm 138:8)
- You can grow from here.
- Rejection may be simply a parting of two people called in different directions.
- Rejection will only define you if you let it.
- Jesus was rejected.
- Most people do not want the power to shatter your dreams. Don’t give it to them.
- Those who do want the power to shatter your dreams don’t deserve it. Don’t give it to them, either.
- Rejection can (and sometimes should) be rejected.
- Faithful are the wounds of a friend. (Proverbs 27:6)
- You are better off rejected than accepted where God hasn’t called you.
- Human rejection is not a ruling on your standing with God.
- If you try to be liked by everyone, you will lose pieces of yourself.
- Even then, you’ll never please them all.
- Constructive feedback may hurt but is not the same as rejection.
- It’s possible to read too much into a comment.
- Sometimes, rejection has more to do with the giver than the receiver.
- Rejection can serve to solidify previously untested convictions.
- Rejection can direct us toward better futures.
- A rejection of something close to your heart is not the same as a rejection of your heart.
- Not everyone has earned the right to steer you with their opinions.
- God has always had and will always have the final say.
What would you add to the list?
PS-The cute fox photos are by Nathan Anderson on Unsplash.
#Jesus loves you and 29 other reminders for the next time you face #rejection via @emilyrconrad
Great reminders, Emily! Very appropriate for so many areas of life. I love #30. He is always true and always in control.
I love that you have 30 reminders! I read it twice. Thanks, Emily. 🙂
Good stuff, Emily. I like #27. Heard someone mention in Bible study if Paul had not been prevented (by God, but could've felt like rejection) from visiting Rome initially, we wouldn't have the book of Romans. Rejection can be redirection that positively impacts others.
Amen! And when He says we're accepted, no one can say otherwise!
The list was a little shorter initially, but then grew until I made the title image… and then I cut it off so I didn't have to keep remaking the graphic, but there's so much to say on this subject!
Oh, I didn't realize that! And now that you mention it, I think Job felt rejected, too, but if he hadn't gone through what he did, we wouldn't have that example of stunning faith in trials.