Plowing Through Rejection

This last year, I went through some pretty painful rejection. It hurt. But then, rejection is never easy. I don't know about you, but I always want people to like me. We want people to desire our services and the use of our talents, but what I realize now, that isn't always God's will.

Here is what I've learned this year. If you read the book of Joseph and the life of Jesus, you see two powerful stories of rejection. First, Joseph. Here is a man that is obviously a strong man of character that managed to be place in charge not once, but three times. There is no doubting this was a great man. Every horrible circumstance, he found himself pushed to the front. But that didn't come at some hard costs.

His own brothers plotted to kill him, tossed him in a hole, and sold him into slavery. That is some serious rejection. But God allowed it. Why? Because He had bigger things in store for Joseph than sheep herding.

Jesus, the Son of God, who healed thousands of ailments, was rejected by the very people He loved. Even his own disciples turned on Him. These people He poured His ministry and life into, yelled for Him to be killed. That is rejection we'll never know. But, like Joseph, He had to walk through that rejection in order for God's will to be carried out. Without that experience, we would not have salvation.

As I look at my own rejection, I realize that in order for God to place me where He wanted me, I had to go through that. God allows rejection and painful experiences to move us. If He didn't, why would we ever move?