“Gilead’s wife bore sons; and when his wife’s sons grew up, they drove Jephthah out, and said to him, “You shall have no inheritance in our father’s house, for you are the son of another woman.”” ~ Judges 11:2
REFERENCE:
One battle you will most often fight in life is against rejection. It is vital that you have victory in this battle; otherwise, you will never rise to your full potential. Rejection is declaring somebody as unwanted or unsuitable. It is to behave unkindly to somebody who expects and has a right to your love, kindness, and friendship. There is no pain like the pain of rejection.
Rejection stems from refusals to give loans, pay increments, or proceed with a relationship. Rejection cuts deep, but God wants it to be your teacher, not your undertaker. To have victory is to win despite opposition or setbacks and the ability to convert failure into success. No matter the trouble you face, victory is mine. Victory is within you; you only need to pull it out.
Jephthah walked a very rough road. His half-siblings despised and rejected him for being the son of a harlot. Jephthah suffered rejection, deprived of parental love and affirmation, cast out by society, and written off by those who should have cared for him. Jephthah was a mighty man of valor, but he had no chance to show it; his gifts were undiscovered and untapped.
Jephthah won the battle against rejection and achieved great things; he became the leader of his people and commander of their army. The stone that the builders rejected became the chief cornerstone. Rejection does not mean that you are useless or not fit; it just means that those who reject you are blind to what you will become. They saw Jephthah as an illegitimate son; his people were blind to his military potential and almost lost him.
Friends, to become anything in life, you will battle against rejection. The power of a success story is when it highlights victory over rejection: Jesus was rejected by His own, Joseph by his brothers, and Walt Disney by a newspaper that said he lacked imagination and good ideas. Yet, these men rose to become megastars. Don’t cry over who said you are not good enough, left, or abandoned you. Let rejection give you direction, and let a better you emerge.
PHOTO QUOTE
ADDITIONAL TEXTS:
I Corinthians 15:57, Psalm 118:22-23, and Psalm 27:10
PRAYER:
+ Lord, help me not to wrap my sense of worth around anything, any man, woman, or group of people, so that should they reject me, it will not stop me from trusting Your plan for me.
+ Father, give me the fortitude to bounce back from any form of setback or rejection to become all You have called me to be. Let my rejection birth direction for my life, in Jesus’ name.
