How can I overcome feelings of rejection?

Answer

We are all susceptible to disappointment and feelings of rejection, especially following a broken relationship. However, as believers who have been born again, we possess a valuable resource in God’s Word that can provide comfort and clarity in such situations. The rejection by one person does not indicate that we are unlovable. We can either let that rejection dictate our emotions and shape our self-perception, or we can opt to leave it behind and progress based on something much more enduring.

What is that something? For believers, it is our standing in Christ. Upon being born again, we are embraced. “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves” (Ephesians 1:3-6).

Even though we neither deserve nor can earn it (Ephesians 2:8-9), the Lord Jesus Christ has bestowed upon us every spiritual blessing and has welcomed us in Him. This acceptance is His grace-gift, surpassing any and all other “feelings” we may experience because it is not founded on “hope so” but on “know so.” We are certain of this truth because God’s Word affirms it, and as we embrace this truth through faith, it manifests as reality in our hearts and lives.

Relying solely on our feelings is akin to navigating the world with our emotions exposed. We are likely to get hurt and disappointed, given that we reside in a fallen world. The crucial choice lies in how we opt to deal with those emotions.Hurt and disappointment can either help us grow stronger in our walk with the Lord or leave us wounded. Both outcomes are within our control. God enables us to navigate life’s disappointments with the assurance that His provision for us is effective. His grace and comfort are available to us as we find rest in Him. Every believer in Christ has access to these provisions and blessings, but we must choose to make use of them. It’s akin to having a million dollars in the bank but choosing to starve because we fail to use the money for food. Additionally, we cannot utilize what we do not know. Therefore, it is essential for every believer to truly understand the God who knows and loves us, which goes beyond merely reading God’s Word devotionally but involves studying it to shift our perspective (2 Timothy 3:16-17) and equip us to face life with a genuine understanding of walking by faith.

As believers, we are not defined by past failures, disappointments, or others’ rejection. We are identified as children of God, reborn to a new life and enriched with every spiritual blessing, accepted in Christ Jesus. This is the key to victorious living. God has prepared unique opportunities for each of us to navigate through the challenges of life. We can rely on our own strength and what the Apostle Paul refers to as our “flesh,” or we can walk in the power of the provision God has given us through the Holy Spirit. The choice is ours. God has provided us with spiritual armor (Ephesians 6:11-18), but it is our responsibility to put it on through faith.

Therefore, if you are a child of God, you may encounter disappointment in this life, but remember that as a child of the King, this rejection is a temporary obstacle. You have the option to either let that obstacle derail you or to see it as a minor setback in the grand scheme of things.

Ail you and walk wounded, or you can choose to claim the heritage of a child of God and move forward in grace. Forgiveness of others and of self is a gift that you can give because it is the gift given to you by the Lord Jesus Christ «and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.», (Ephesians 4:32).