Although I have felt the sting of rejection throughout my life, this was a lesson from the school of hard knocks, adult education department.

Rejection happens in every stage of life—to little girls, teen girls, and grown girls.

Almost like I was an experiment in a lab or a reality show. Will she survive rejection as a woman? Stay tuned for the results.

Perhaps, like me, rejection yanked the rug out from under your fragile heart too many times.

But whether people introduced us to rejection early in life, later, or both, there are three truths we need to cling to whenever people reject us.

And these truths change our perspective as we compare rejection from people to acceptance from God. We replace lies with truth.

(1.) Rejection is something done to me, not who I am. 

Rejection leaves a hole in our soul wider than the Grand Canyon. Yet, we make the mistake of equating what is done to us as a title to wear. The actions of others should never pen the labels we stick on ourselves.

Because rejection is an action, not a person. Rejection does not make me a reject. 

On the flip side, acceptance is not only an action, but also a living being—God. So there’s no need for me to have an identity crisis. I take my cue about who I am from the great I AM.

We are patterned in the image of our Creator. Accepted. Valued. Precious.

Rejection is an action, not a person. Rejection does not make 'me' a reject. So there’s no need for me to have an identity crisis. I take my cue about who I am from the great I AM. #rejection #acceptance @FridayKaren
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Once I watched a movie about toys built by workers on an assembly line. Every final assembled toy passed through inspectors who stamped each “Reject” or “Accept.”

Even if people attempt to stamp us with reject-or-accept opinions, God already placed His stamp on us. It always has and always will read, “Accept.”

Rejection and acceptance first intersected on Calvary’s cross. As soon as the cross beam bearing Jesus’s outstretched arms locked in place, rejection lost the hold on our lives. Now anchored in God’s acceptance, we know who we are and who we are not.

(2.) Rejection decides not to invest in me, but my heavenly Father is all-in.

Loved ones investing in our lives adds value. Yet, when others decide we’re not worth the time, attention or devotion, there’s One who invests all He has in us.

God’s invested, focused, attentive, intentional and all-in—“without restrictions” (Dictionary.com). God never limits how active He is in our lives.

We forget people are limited. So, we inadvertently apply this thinking to God. But we can’t set limits on a God who always operates in the supernatural. He brings His whole-hearted devotion into our lives where human devotion falls short.

If we reflect on where we limit God, we see how our doubts play a role.

• Maybe we think He loves others, but not us.
• Perhaps we fear God will let us down.
• Or we feel like the Father is distant, mad at us or disappointed in us—all comparisons to what we experience with others.

To remedy this, we exchange our doubts with confidence in who God is—He never fails and He is always faithful. “Not one word of all the good promises that the Lord had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass” (Joshua 21:45, ESV).

We have assurance in a God who is constant, loyal, committed, dedicated, and quite fond of me and you. And the Lord declares, “I’m so glad you belong to Me.”

We have assurance in a God who is constant, loyal, committed, dedicated, and quite fond of me and you. And the Lord declares, 'I'm so glad you belong to Me.' #rejection #acceptance @FridayKaren
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(3.) Rejection chooses to abandon me; God makes a promise, “I’m not going anywhere.” 

Important people not showing up in my life caused me to wish for someone to promise to stay near forever, both physically and emotionally.

Still, does anyone promise forever and really own up to it? Yes, our heavenly Father. He’s the real Promise-keeper of always and forever.

When we feel alone, we remember God is there. And the Lord never leaves us to tend to ourselves and He never checks out on us. Declare these statements out loud.

God wants me.

The Lord pursues me.

God stays intimately connected to me.

The Father never disowns me.

(Insert your name) And God has said, I will never leave ________  or let ________ be alone. (Hebrews 13:5b, NLV)

Which truth spoke to you or what would you add?

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LINKUP is open. Join my friend @FridayKaren for three truths we need to cling to whenever people reject us. We compare rejection from people to acceptance from God. Share your blog!
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The post 3 Truths to Overcome Lies of Rejection {Recharge Wednesday LINKUP} appeared first on Soaring With Him Ministries.

I spent the summer after my college freshmen year in ministry at Virginia Beach, Virginia with CRU (Campus Crusade for Christ). A mission at the beach—somebody had to do it. A young, crisp nineteen-year-old who wanted to make a difference in the world. Pursuing Christ with my whole heart and a passion to make Him known.

College students from across the U.S. and one from England completed training sessions to prepare us for evangelism. We shared the gospel on the boardwalk several nights a week with Saturdays devoted to ministry on the beach, suffering in sand and surf. Crowd-gathering events of volley-ball and slow-motion football provided opportunities to proclaim the message of Jesus Christ.

Instead of raising mission-trip fees, students secured weekday jobs to accommodate living expenses. Four of us (three girls and one guy) became gainfully employed at a McDonald’s close enough to our housing complex to walk to work. We traveled the boulevard during the wee hours of the morning before daybreak.

Deliberately Followed

But one dark morning brought an unexpected turn of events. Our male co-worker overslept and did not accompany us. As the three of us girls walked at breakneck speed, we passed a man loitering in a store-front a few blocks from the restaurant. We had seen him before and he had noticed us.

I never heard his footsteps. Without warning he grabbed me from behind and wrapped his arms around my chest. His chin pressed firmly into my neck as he murmured lewd words—his lips touching my ear.

In a split second, I imagined him dragging me into a nearby alley. God, please help me! I silently prayed.

Then, he released his grip and ran away. The girls with me appeared shell-shocked as they watched his shadow disappear past a streetlight and into the dark. I could not look back.

Frozen, my legs turned to rubber, barely able to carry me the rest of the way to McDonald’s…to safety. Breathless and terrified that he might still be lurking nearby or would come back for me.

Safe inside the doors at work, I called the married couple leading our beach project. After we filed a police report, I spent several hours lying on my bunk—tears streaming—begging the Lord to calm my spirit and thanking Him for protection from further harm.

The perpetrator knew our schedule, our every move. We traveled the same path at the same time each weekday. Three girls walking abandoned city streets without our male companion provided an auspicious moment.

Relentlessly Followed

Years later, I sense I’m relentlessly pursued once again. These two followers will not stop following me. They know the schedule I keep and the path I travel. This is an intentional pursuit from daybreak to nightfall and around the clock. After an investigation and reading the report on file, I’ve identified them:

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever” (Psalm 23:6, ESV).

God has assigned two followers to pursue His children. They know the schedule we keep and the path we travel. An intentional pursuit from daybreak to nightfall and around the clock. @FridayKaren #followed #WednesdayMotivation
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Goodness: Dictionary.com says it’s “the best part of anything.” God is the best part of anything. He’s the best part of life and the best part of me and you.

Goodness relentlessly follows us.

Mercy: translated by the NLT is “unfailing love.” It’s the compassion and kindness of God bringing forgiveness to mankind.

Mercy relentlessly follows us.

“The Lord is my Shepherd: I shall not want” (Psalm 23:1, ESV).

To ensure we will not want for the best part of life, the Great Shepherd has assigned Goodness and Mercy to pursue His sheep—chase after and follow—relentlessly. They stay on the heels of the sheep at all times and watch our every move.

The assignment duration? “All the days of my life.”

To ensure we will not want for the best part of life, the Great Shepherd assigned two followers to pursue His sheep all the days of our life. Psalm 23. @FridayKaren #followed #followers #Wednesdaythoughts
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Goodness and Mercy Follow Us

Goodness and Mercy follow us all the days of our life.

We will never hear goodness and mercy’s footsteps, but we are confident of their presence, wrapping their arms around us and never releasing their grip. And we will never watch their shadows disappear into the dark.

Friend, you are relentlessly followed.

People may follow us online and in life. But God promises to give His children two important #followers who relentlessly pursue us. Join @FridayKaren to discover their identity. Link up is open! Share your blog.
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