Spirit of Rejection and How to Uproot It
Christians deal with the spirit of rejection differently than other people. Even so, rejection never sits well with your insides. Why is that?
You love your one-off talents and abilities that God applauds and want to develop each and every gift He puts in you, to the fullest.
Look around. No one is the same.
It seems to me God designs each person with exclusive qualities to sidestep boredom. He nearly busts His buttons when enjoying His children of ethnic diversities. God loves uniqueness. Isn’t that true for doting earthly parents too? With wide grins on their faces, they support the dissimilarities and attributes of their children.
Everyone, both parents and children, wants at least one person to come alongside them and say, “You’re just awesome!”
So why does rejection happen so frequently? In my book, God Prods, I wrote an entire section about “Hurting and Healing” and how to deal with a broken heart.
Rejection occurs in social circles and among family members. Even subtle snubs from strangers qualify as denunciations of your character. The message is clear. You don’t measure up in their eyes and they reject you as freaky, weird, or something else. You’re singled out, but not for your individuality.
But why should you care what others think?
I’m following a hunch here. Is it possible you use people as a measuring stick to gauge your importance? Do you fear people and crave their approval and acceptance? As you review the following examples of the spirit of rejection, incidents of your own may come to mind.
Signs of Spirit of Rejection
- Someone else gets the job you want – again.
- A friend asks you to help plan a party but doesn’t invite you to attend.
- People unfriend or unfollow you on a social media website.
- Your “best” friend sleeps with your husband or wife.
- You discover your spouse is a porn addict and prefers “them”, not you.
- Another rejection letter arrives in the mail: from your preferred book publisher or college.
- Others reject you because your skin color is white, brown, yellow or red. I once walked into an African American church because the outside looked inviting and met icy stares full of hatred.
- Children bully you at school.
- People routinely reject others due to their disabilities.
- Strangers and family members of former inmates shun them, even though they’ve cleaned up their lives.
How Jesus Dealt with Rejection
Jesus experienced more than His share of rejection.
He spent three-plus years with His disciples and two of them betrayed Him at His darkest hour. Peter denied Jesus three times publicly and Judas led soldiers to Gethsemane to arrest Him.
On Palm Sunday, people shouted “Hosanna to the Son of David” and on Good Friday they turned on Jesus with shouts of “Crucify Him.”
Jesus healed two demon-possessed men sending the demons into a herd of pigs. Immediately, the whole city asked Him to leave (Mathew 8:34).
The religious leaders rejected Jesus—knowing the facts. Jesus shares the parable of the tenants in Mark 12 referring to these religious leaders.
“Haven’t you read this passage of Scripture:‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. The Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes? Then the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders looked for a way to arrest him because they knew he had spoken the parable against them. But they were afraid of the crowd; so they left him and went away.”
Now I know why the prophet Isaiah said, “He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief” (Isaiah 53:3).
- Have you noticed the ones closest to you cause the deepest pain and wounds when they reject you? How do you move on when someone’s snub yanks out your guts?
How to Deal with the Spirit of Rejection
Rejection is not always a bad thing.
- After a performance at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry, the people in charge told Elvis to return to his truck driving job.
- The Kansas City Star fired Walt Disney because he lacked imagination.
- Drama instructors suggested to Lucille Ball that she try a different profession.
- Oprah Winfrey couldn’t keep a news reporting job because employers thought she was too emotional.
All of these well-known individuals didn’t allow social anxiety, loneliness, anger or sadness to define their lives. In the midst of self-doubt and worthlessness, they emerged from dark holes as victors. They learned how to deal with the spirit of rejection. You can too.
How to Break the Spirit of Rejection
Follow the example of Jesus. He moved through crowds without saying a word. His heart may have felt broken, but He knew man’s evil heart is due to Satan’s influence. He lived a life as a determined Christian spreading love to everyone.
Focus on your positive qualities, the characteristics that make you unique. Anytime someone drops snide remarks about you, they are jealous of your virtues. They want to transfer negative thinking to you. Discount their words immediately by preventing their entrance into your heart. Focus on truth, not lies.
Realize you are not alone in this world. Rejection brings on feelings of abandonment and isolation. God said He would never leave you or forsake you. The best remedy when you have those feelings is to put on a praise CD and worship God wholeheartedly.
Say goodbye to toxic friends that suck you dry with their negativism and continually put you down. Choose friends that celebrate your differences. You can cultivate healthy relationships to last a lifetime.
Recognize that people who reject others don’t love themselves. Exceedingly hurtful are the actions and words from family members. Remember they are unable to love others and feel better when others crumble. As much as possible, limit your activity with them.
5 More Ways to Break the Spirit of Rejection
Watch out for dream killers. These are people who make fun of your dreams and tell you they’re impossible. Stay on God’s plan for you to succeed in life.
Decide you won’t trust in people, beauty, success, degrees, money and anything without a firm foundation. Your faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior provides a sure footing to navigate through life.
Oust bitterness from your life when it’s a result of rejection. It harms your spiritual health and defies your soul. Bitterness normally hangs out with unforgiveness. Both of them contribute to strife and hatred.
Keep your emotions in check. Identify emotional triggers that cause you to overreact. Learn to choose, beforehand, how to respond to rejection.
Accept the fact, you’ll be rejected again. Understand that Satan is the enemy, not the person. Rejection can be an opportunity to grow your faith.
Uprooting the Spirit of Rejection
Satan loves the spirit of rejection because it can cause feelings of oppression, fear, doubt, and torment. His goal is to separate you from God and stop spiritual growth. He cleverly sets up Christians to fail unless they walk close to God EVERY DAY.
I don’t minimize the heartache of rejection or recommend a one-time, 10-step plan for how Christians deal with the spirit of rejection. I do believe you can learn how to deal differently with negative responses so you don’t feel bushwhacked. With all levels of rejection, some may require professional, Christian counseling.