Dr. David M. Oliver
Living Water LLC
January 2023
Rejection is a universal human experience. An unkind word from a parent, sibling, teacher, coach, or peer can be devastating. The comments may be made in a moment of anger or passing frustration. However, the impact of that single experience can last a lifetime. Add multiple rejections, and negative patterns of thinking and behavior can emerge to cope with that lingering, unresolved pain.
Attempts at coping with rejection can take many forms—isolation, loneliness, anger, bitterness, manipulation, replaying the experience in our minds, people pleasing, trying to measure up, vowing to be good enough to avoid future rejection, etc. Think about how you have dealt with rejection. Was it healthy or unhealthy? Did you get support or try to tough it out alone? Have you ever got stuck in feelings of rejection? Do you still have some wounds of rejection?
Rather than waste the experiences of rejection, I sought to learn what I could from them. In exploring rejection, we will often discover lies we have believed about God, ourselves, others, and the world. You may discover, as I did, that I had placed my sense of identity and security in how others responded to me. These were difficult but important realizations.
I carried a root of rejection most of my life. It caused me to feel very lonely, misunderstood, isolated, angry, and afraid. It was only when I had an encounter with Jesus that the root of that rejection was finally removed. In its place, Christ gave me a profound sense of secure identity that I had not known was possible.
One day I felt led to pray and ask the Lord Jesus about how he dealt with rejection. We know from Scripture that Jesus was despised and rejected. He was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief (Isaiah 53:3).
Almost immediately, my mind was filled with a simple yet profound process which Jesus used to deal with rejection. It is insightful, instructive, and hopeful. I wrote down the process which is detailed enough to be used by individuals or caregivers helping another dealing with rejection.
I encourage you to learn how Jesus dealt with rejection and apply this wisdom to your own life in order to experience freedom from the negative effects of this universal human experience.
To learn the specific steps which Jesus used in dealing with rejection and to enjoy freedom from the effects of rejection, go to the Resource Page of my website and purchase this article. It offers a step-by-step approach. I have kept the cost minimal ($3.95) so that many people may read and benefit from this material. The link below will take you to the page. The resource is the second item down on the left side: https://www.livingh2oministries.com/resources.