The Upside Of Rejection

I was in a conversation with a woman in our church not long ago, and she brought up something her mom said decades ago when she was just a little girl. Very hurtful. And she quoted her verbatim. This woman admitted that she struggles remembering what she had for breakfast the day before, but she vividly remembers those hurtful words from her mom many years ago. She felt rejected.

I know what it’s like to be rejected. I was essentially disowned as a teenager. Yes, it was painful.

But one of my early Christian friends opened his Bible with great encouragement from this verse in Psalms: “When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up” (Psalm 27:10 KJV).

Being rejected by people is a reality of this life. It may not have been from your parents. Perhaps a best friend, a boss, a spouse, or even an adult child. If you haven’t yet felt rejection, you will. And it will be painful.

But that promise from Psalms, which was demonstrated by Christ, will be accentuated by the pain of rejection.

Even when those most responsible to love you unconditionally forsake or abandon or reject you, that pain can drive you to the One who promised He will never leave you nor forsake you.

I can still see my surroundings that night when my friend opened his Bible and turned it around, with the words highlighted and underlined. This friend had lost his mom at a young age and was rejected by his dad. And that same verse that gave him solace, he used to comfort me.

It burned a wrinkle in my brain. God promised to be what others will never be. His acceptance is eternal. His love is unconditional. And I knew then and there that I was in God’s spiritual family, and that could never be taken away.

Even as our kids were growing up, Linda and I would tell them, “We are so glad God put you in our family. But our family is only for this life. The family that matters most is the Family of God. We want to be together for eternity, so it’s really important that you join us in the Family of God."

And today, besides our own salvation, it’s what Linda and I are most grateful for. Three adult kids, all of whom are with us in God’s family and will be forever, along with their spouses and their kids.

We’ll never forsake them or reject them. But more importantly, neither will God.

And that’s His promise to you!