Rejection, who of us has not experienced it? It is a part of our daily lives. It has been since the day we were born. It may seem to be an unfortunate part of life, but how we deal with it is what separates us from everyone else. When we were babies we dealt with rejection and disappointment by crying until we got our way. I am sure we all know adults who still do that! Sometimes the rejection we experience seems insignificant, and sometimes it is absolutely heartbreaking, but we should deal with it the same way every time we encounter it. I like to think that rejection is God’s way of saying, “Not yet” or “I have something better planned for you.” It is admittedly difficult to remember that. We have all wanted something so badly that we didn’t think we could be happy without it. Maybe it is a new house, a new possession, a new job, or a spouse.

When we do not get what we want it can devastate us. We start questioning everything and even blame ourselves. We say to ourselves, “I am not good enough.” “I am not pretty enough.” “ I am not smart enough.” The list goes on and on, but all we are doing is making ourselves feel worse. We have all heard that we should thank God for unanswered prayers. Sometimes I bristle when I hear that, but when you think about it, it really is true. If we always got what we wanted we wouldn’t work harder, and if we never had to experience rejection, we would not be able to appreciate the things that we do get.

Rejection should strengthen us, not defeat us. Rejection should inspire us, not deplete us of all our creative ideas. We really should be grateful that God says no to us sometimes. I believe He wants us to thank Him when we are high on the mountain and when we are low in the valley.

So, the next time you experience rejection, face it bravely and remind yourself that this is not the right thing for you and really believe it. Take stock of your life and regroup. Often when we think that things could not get any worse and we feel our lowest, God is preparing us for the wonderful things that are yet to come. There sometimes has to be a “no” before the life changing “yes.” So, don’t look at rejection as a negative thing. Look at it has the beginning of something bigger and better. Rejection can sometimes bring important, life altering change into your life that will bring with it a greater sense of happiness and peace and PEACE MATTERS.

~Dan~