“He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief…” (Isa. 53:3)
I remember, as a kid, playing a game of tag football. We would choose two team captains and they would proceed to choose their teammates. No one wanted to be chosen last. If you were picked last, it was usually because no one wanted you in the first place!
Whether it is children on a playground, a boy asking a girl out on a date, or an employee asking for a raise, no one likes rejection. Reaction never feels good, especially when it comes from friends or family. But Jesus knows exactly what it feels like to be rejected. Isaiah says that he was “despised and rejected of men.”
Here are four truths to remember if you have experienced rejection.
FIRST—Rejection can be a sign you are doing right.
Sometimes it boils down to choosing between the acceptance of others and the acceptance of God. Paul said in (2Cor. 5:9) “Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.” When you choose to live for Christ, sometimes people will reject you.
SECOND—It is better to be rejected than to lower your standards.
Sometimes a man or a woman is tempted to lower their standards in order to find someone, or to have certain friends. You are better off without those friends if you must lower your standards to get them.
THIRD—Focus on others who may need to be accepted.
Instead of focusing on YOUR rejection, look for others who may also need a friend. Maybe God wants you to use your rejection to help someone else who may have also felt rejected by others.
FOURTH—God will NEVER reject you!
No matter what others do, God said, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Heb. 13:5). Take heart. You may have been rejected, but you are never alone!