Rejection
“All of us have experienced times of discouragement, times when we feel that all in the world has turned against us. Our intentions are misunderstood, our words are misinterpreted, our suggestions are ignored, and our offers of help are met with rejection. As a result, we begin to feel marginalized and unappreciated, and became very dejected.” (Rev. Andrew J. Demotses)
"Rejection can damage my life as few other things can, if I don’t hand it over to God’s unchanging love and light, as the Psalmist does above, in prayer. The wound of rejection, when left unhealed, can lead to all sorts of distortions in our journey: For example, unforgiveness, jealousy, self-pity. It can lead us to rebel, or to fabricate a personality, just to be accepted. Or, conversely, to reject everyone and anyone, just so we’re not the first to be rejected. We may have the need always to be right, and become unable to accept constructive criticism, because of this inner insecurity." (Sr. Dr. Vassa Larin)
“Over the years, I have come to realize that the greatest trap in our life is not success, popularity, or power, but self-rejection. Success, popularity, and power can indeed present a great temptation, but their seductive quality often comes from the way they are part of the much larger temptation to self-rejection. When we have come to believe in the voices that call us worthless and unlovable, then success, popularity, and power are easily perceived as attractive solutions. The real trap, however, is self-rejection. As soon as someone accuses me or criticizes me, as soon as I am rejected, left alone, or abandoned, I find myself thinking, "Well, that proves once again that I am a nobody." ... [My dark side says,] I am no good... I deserve to be pushed aside, forgotten, rejected, and abandoned. Self-rejection is the greatest enemy of the spiritual life because it contradicts the sacred voice that calls us the "Beloved." Being the Beloved constitutes the core truth of our existence.” (Henri J.M. Nouwen)
“Through spiritual surgery, the Holy Spirit moves into the cracks and crevices of our hearts to remove any lingering or useless words and/or acts of rejection. His love is enduring and powerful enough to bring complete healing for a renewed, vibrant life in Christ. The scars and memories may remain; however, their potency for pain is significantly reduced to ashes when God heals and we forgive those who’ve hurt us.” (Crystal McDowell)
“…if we rest our hearts in the Holy Spirit, God will transform every oppression, abuse, and rejection.” (Dynamis 6/26/2014)