I used to be the kind of person who prayed before I hit “send” on an email. I would stay up at night thinking about if someone was offended by something I said. I would even practice asking for a favor, and when the time came, I wouldn’t even ask for fear of rejection.
Rejection used to be one of my greatest fears. It used to stop me.
But now, I’m convinced it is my superpower and I want it to be yours too.
How do we spin that horrible gut wrenching feeling of not being good enough, not measuring up, and feeling unwanted into a superpower?
I think Jesus shows us how and why rejection is crucial. Because Jesus is continually opening Himself up to rejection, and I think we can too. When our identity is rooted in Christ, we should be more willing to take risks because our identity as followers of Jesus cannot be changed.
Jesus Himself showed up and He did so vulnerably. He came knowing we would reject Him, and yet, He came. He continually extends the same invitation to us again and again, continually opening Himself up to rejection as He does so.
We are “prone to wander” and He is prone to wait, even when we reject Him, He is always there, inviting us into a relationship with us anyway.
Rejection can hurt, and sometimes it still will. But the more you make a practice of opening yourself up to rejection, the more you’ll be like Jesus.
A willingness to be rejected leads us into new places and relationships, and personally, as I’ve started to overcome the fear of rejection and take risks, I’ve watched my life transform.
When you’re afraid of being rejected, you stay in the same place you’re at. When you aren’t, you get rejected.
Sometimes, you get rejected repeatedly.
You get stood up on coffee dates or told you’re not a good fit or ghosted by who you thought was becoming your bestie.
And then you try again, and you grow, and every once in a while, what you thought would end in rejection ends in acceptance and it changes everything and makes it all worth it.
In 2021 I hope you face rejection. Opening up yourself to rejection means you’re doing something right. You aren’t letting the fear of rejection drive your decisions.
Remember, perfect love casts out fear. You’re taking chances. Maybe you’ll end up with a new friend or opportunity because you’re willing to take the risk.