Rejection
Even if my father and mother abandon me,
the Lord will hold me close. Psalm 27:10 NLT
Did you ever feel the sting of rejection? Sometimes there are small rejections, like no one talked to us at our kid’s sports events. Those are a sting, easy to acknowledge, brush off, and move on from. Then there are life shaking rejections that seem to make all of life stop. Those are like full front assaults.
When someone, like a spouse promised to love you or someone in a meaningful role (like a family member that should have a natural, intense love for you) leaves, physically or emotionally, the pain seems almost unbearable. Rejection comes in many forms, not always physically leaving, sometimes as criticism or choosing an addiction over a relationship or even indifference from a loved one. Leslie Vernick writes…
The opposite of love isn’t hate; it is indifference. Indifference says I don’t care enough about you to give you my time, my energy, or other resources to show interest, care, or love toward you. Indifference says how you feel or what you want doesn’t matter to me.
There were days in the years following my divorce that I wondered if my ex-husband had ever really loved me or if he had just said the right words. I would periodically come across old letters he wrote to me and try to make sense of it all.
People often asked me if I was afraid of getting married again, and I can honestly say I was not (appropriately cautious, maybe, but not fearful). Let me tell you why.
I learned these truths. We are wired for human relationships, but there is one relationship that should transcend all relationships. That relationship holds us firm when other humans in our lives are not perfect (keeping in mind we are imperfect humans who have also failed others).
God’s Love for Us Never Changes
So don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters. Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens.He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession. James 1:17 NLT
Life circumstances may change, but the love of God remains the same. Human love may waver, but God’s love is constant.
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases Lamentations 3:22 NASB
God Loved Us First
When I may wonder if my ex-husband’s love was ever really real, God loved me from the moment of conception.
We love because he first loved us. I John 4:19 NIV
He loved me while I was still a mess, not acknowledging my sinful state. I did not have to dress up or put on makeup or bring flowers to impress Him.
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8
God’s Words (His Letters to Us) Stand the Test of Time
Whereas the words I write here today will one day not be, God’s Word will stand for eternity. If you are not reading the Bible, start today! God desires to speak to you. His words are forever true.
Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. Matthew 24:35.
Jesus Faced Rejection, So We Could be Accepted
Jesus was rejected, so we could be accepted. There is no greater love. It is incomprehensible: the act of the Father turning His face from his son; the act of His son experiencing separation from His Father, so we can have an intimate relationship with God.
Greater love has no one than this, that a person will lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13
About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”) Matthew 27:46 NIV
For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son so that anyone who believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 TLB
God’s love is not a love He forces on us. As much as we may have wrongly rejected people in this life or been the one rejected, there is one rejection or acceptance we make that will has life long consequences
In his book He Chose the Nails: What God Did to Win Your Heart, Max Lucado makes a poignant point. See Luke 23:39-43. As Jesus is on the cross dying, there were two thieves on each side of him. Max Lucado writes,
Could it be that the two crosses on the hill symbolize one of God’s greatest gifts? The gift of choice.
The two criminals have so much in common. Convicted by the same system. Condemned to the same death. Surrounded by the same crowd. Equally close to the same Jesus. In fact, they begin with the same sarcasm: “The criminals said cruel things to Jesus.” (Matthew 27:44 CEV)
But one changed.
What choice are you making today? Are you accepting Jesus or rejecting Him? He has already accepted you. The choice is yours. It is the one relationship that trumps all others.
Any injustice in this life is offset by the honor of choosing our destiny in the next. -Max Lucado
Reflections
- How have you experienced rejection?
- Have you accepted the love of God? If you are making a decision today, click here for a prayer to pray or visit the resource page.
These brownies are a family favorite for birthdays or company. Although we typically do not use white or brown sugar in our home, these contain coconut sugar which is the one sugar I make exception for.
Top these with ganache and they look like a bakery dessert.
1 thought on “Human Rejection, God’s Acceptance”
Thanks for the inspiration Aimee