Determine your team to help overcome rejection

Sharing is caring!

Rejection is a societal cancer running rampant in the world while acceptance is the balm we all seek.

To reject is to refuse to accept, to refuse to make use of, to refuse to believe in. People can choose to reject others for anything: too thin, too fat; too rich, too poor; too old, too young; too smart, too dumb; too talkative, too quiet; too funny, too serious; too talented, too normal; too athletic, too uncoordinated; too driven, not driven enough. People will reject someone for not looking a certain way, acting a certain way, belonging to a certain group. It is all quite fickle.

Whenever I have my children’s portraits taken, I look through all the pictures once. On the next viewing, I look for reasons to reject a picture. I do this to eliminate and narrow the stack because photographers take so many photos, many of them very good. I only have so much money and only so much need so I cannot select them all. Photographs, however, are not people; people have feelings. Yet sometimes it feels like we are being picked over like that.

At times it is easier to find something wrong than something good. You can always find something to be dissatisfied about. But who wants to live like that? Honestly? I don’t.

I can feel like the unwanted one in the selection. This childhood wound is deep. It creeps up still though I try to beat it down and reject the rejection. I may never know why I was the girl left out, not wanted, but I do know now that I am wanted and that I do have incredible value despite what some people might say.

Jesus created each unique person. You are a special creation, a one of a kind, a rare treasure. No matter what anyone else says or what they might do, you are WANTED.

In school, I hated gym and recess and team captains because I was always the person picked last or maybe not picked at all. That always hurt. As an adult, when I realized I was picked to be on Jesus’ team—the team that wins—a part of me was always waiting for the catch. You know when you may be feeling accepted and comfortable only to learn there was a mistake, a misunderstanding, a joke you didn’t foresee? Everyone’s laughing at your expense, and you’d rather disappear—do you know that feeling?

What I have had to learn to trust—and learn is the proper term because when you have lived with your guard up for long enough, you don’t truly trust anyone—was that Jesus is an invincible, true team captain. He is powerful. He is loving. He is kind. He inspires awe. He is perfect. He is One with God. On His team, you win. On His team, you are always a winner. He is the only team captain you want.

Even though at times it may seem that no one wants you on her team, don’t despair because Jesus wants you on His team. Nothing can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:35-39). The bullies may sneer or mock, but there will be a day when every knee bows to Jesus. Every person will acknowledge Him. Each of us will give an account of our life. I’d rather be on His team now. It’s not too late to join His team. Have you accepted his invitation to be on His team?

Help us, Lord, not to reject others or to look for ways to eliminate people from our lives. Heal us from the hurts and rejections we have suffered and to let them go. May we leave judgment to You and let you avenge us when or where necessary. Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification (Romans 14:19). Thank you for picking us to be on Your team. Help us to remember, Lord, that your team wins. Help us not to grow faint or weak, but to stay strong in You. Amen.