I’ve been thinking about some projects that I have been working on and some people that have crossed my path in the past few weeks…
Have you ever felt like a puzzle piece that didn’t fit in any puzzle? Take heart! Don’t forget Christ was the stone that the builders rejected, but upon that Rock is the foundation of both the church and our salvation. God has a purpose for each life, for each of the “lively stones” with which He is building.
Rejection is not necessarily a sign of failure, but it is certainly a sign of God’s refining process. Sometimes it is a sign of blindness on the part of the one doing the rejecting. If they rejected our Lord, why wouldn’t they reject us? Christ was even rejected by the religious leaders, the very ones who SHOULD have seen who He was and received Him with joy.
Some Keys for Dealing with Rejection:
1. Evaluate: “Was I rejected because of sin, wrong choices, foolishness, or character flaws?” If so confess it. Turn from it….AND MOVE ON! Dwelling on our guilt or on the hurt of the rejection is a sure sign that our eyes are not on the Lord. Rejection by others of some unchangeable physical feature, familial background, status or other circumstance is a reflection purely on their poor character. But if their rejection is based on some wrong doing on our part, it needs to be corrected.
2. Rejoice: “I have been privileged to partake in a small portion, very small portion, of Christ’s sufferings for me!” Rejection can be a huge cause of discouragement, unless we keep the right perspective. Rejection isn’t usually what meets the eye. When we choose to look only at the hurt we see only the hurt, but when we look beyond it we find rich lessons and blessings that the Lord has for us through that moment – true cause for rejoicing!
3. Trust: Trials and the trying of our faith are almost synonymous. But those trials are part of God’s process of refining our faith, which is more precious than gold. Trust that although people reject us, even other Christians, Christ has a plan and purpose for our lives. Keep walking and – EUREKA! – you will be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appear of Jesus Christ.
Here’s a little tidbit: Did you know that this Greek word “Eureka”, which we usually associate with the gold rush, is actually the word used in 1 Peter 1:7? Did you know that we associate it with the gold rush because of something that happened long before the writing of 1 Peter?
Archimedes was looking for a way to determine whether or not cheaper metals had been blended with the gold from which a crown had been made for the king. It was as he was getting in the bath and noticed the change in water level that he realized that he could use water displacement and buoyancy to measure the density of the gold. By hanging a TRUE sampling of the amount of gold used in the crown on one end of a scale and the crown on the other end and dipping them in a predetermined amount of water he could determine whether or not cheaper metals had been added into the crown. He got so excited that he ran through the streets shouting Eureka! Eureka! — I have found it! That is what God is doing in our lives. He wants us to be purified from those “cheaper metals”. He wants us to be “sincere and without offense” (which is also a pretty neat word study if you have time, Philippians 1:10). He wants us to resemble the TRUE standard, to come to “the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” Now can’t you just see the joy with which Christ would rejoice to see that you had passed the test and He – EUREKA! – found you unto praise and honor and glory!
4. Keep Going: Rejection isn’t a sign that we need to quit. It is a reminder to let God lead our lives. Rejection is a reminder that it doesn’t matter what people think, we are accepted in the Beloved. Our name is written in the book of life, which is of so much greater importance than the acceptance of a person or group of people. It is a sign that we need to keep leaning on the Lord for His direction and for Him to complete the work He has begun in our lives.
5. Pray: If you have been rejected for right, then there is a definite need in that person’s life for prayer. God said we are to love our enemy, bless them that curse us, do good to them that hate us, and pray for them which despitefully use us and persecute us. (Matthew 5:44) Rejection should serve to deepen our prayer life and, in turn, our compassion and love for those who have rejected us. If we take it a step further and do good, bless and love we will once again be rejoicing!
So you’re the piece that doesn’t fit in any puzzle…What an opportunity you have! Yes, I know it hurts. Yes, I know it’s lonely. And, yes, I know it’s hard. But don’t you think the cross hurt, and don’t you think that even in the midst of all those people Christ was lonely at times. His love and faithfulness in the face of rejection provided our salvation. Take the opportunity! Grow! Be found unto praise and honor and glory!
