Don’t Let Rejection Stop You
He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. John 1:11
Sometimes the word ‘no’ simply means ‘not now, but ask again’. So don’t let rejection stop you. Only when you see failure as final, are you finally a failure. Take a look at your past experiences. You encountered rejection in school and on the playground. Not everybody liked you, but you made it anyway, right? Jesus experienced more rejection than anybody who ever lived. ‘He came unto His own, and His own received Him not.’ Did He quit? No, He went on to others, to those who discerned His value. ‘But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God’ (v. 12). Someone needs what you have; it is absolutely necessary to their success. Most great salespeople know that 14 out of 15 people will say no. So they hurry and make their presentations to as many as possible in order to reach that one who will say yes. Jesus said, ‘Whosoever shall not receive you…shake off the dust of your feet’ (Matthew 10:14). When you encounter rejection, shake it off and move on. Sooner or later you will succeed if you don’t quit. Don’t personalize it; because someone rejects what you have to offer doesn’t mean they’re rejecting you. Paul writes: ‘For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries’ (1 Corinthians 16:9). Opportunity and opposition – they go together like macaroni and cheese. Life is not going to hand you success on a silver platter; you’ve got to overcome adversity and outlast the opposition in order to walk through the door. And only two things are required: your faith and God’s favor.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, help me to not be discouraged by people who may reject what I say or do – knowing that if I am in Your will doing what You want me to do, that is all that matters. In Your Precious Name, Amen