In some way or form, I’m sure that you have experienced Rejection in your life….
Looking for a job
Looking for a mate/spouse
Trying to get approved for something
Looking for love from someone
Asking for a favor
There has been some time in your life where someone has told you NO regarding something you really wanted or desired and it hurt. It hurt you badly. You may have went into a depression about it. Overall you were disappointed. You may have put a lot of energy into trying to make it work it. Someone may have made you promises that didn’t come true. You may have even prayed and prayed but the answer was still no.
Times like these, make you want to stop praying and give up on believing God, at least temporarily. You get turned off or you ask why is prayer or asking God worth it? The worst part is now you’ve created a space for your thinking to go negative, haywire, and spiral out of control. I totally get it. I understand because I’ve felt this way from time to time.
However, just because you feel this way, doesn’t make what you think about the situation true. What you think or feel doesn’t change anything at all. Can you imagine being told yes to everything? I'm sure that sounds appeasing but even things that seem good for you may not be. Or, it may not be the path for you right now. I don’t know which pill is harder to swallow; the one where you are rejected or the one that gives you the truth in learning that it's not your path and you have to wait.
Either way, you must learn:
To be mature in your Christian character/expectations
To believe God regardless of your thoughts/feelings
To have Faith that God is working it out
So what is it that you can do in the meantime when feelings of rejection take hold of you? When you are feeling rejected, depressed, or upset you feel an emptiness. You almost feel hollow, like someone drained you of your happiness and your joy. Even if someone has drained you, it’s up to you to fill up again, in Jesus Name. You have something that others may not have and that’s the Spirit of the Living God. So, during those times, you have to stand tall and dig deep into your spiritual bag.
There’s a special thing I’m loving to do when I need to grab a hold of Jesus in the moment, outside of grabbing the Word. I allow my soul to sing. What do I mean by that? Well, the same way that King David would come up with songs straight from his heart, in Psalms. They weren't songs already made. They were impromptu. He sung based on what his soul needed at that time. You don’t need to know how to sing or carry a tune to give life to what your soul is feeling and welcome the Joy of the Lord back into your space. It’s the most healing and works wonders releasing the dampness of your heart and spirit.
Next time you feel like your soul and heart is hollow, sing a song. Sing it loud and watch the weight come off your shoulders and darkness out of your belly. The song of the Lord will keep the devil away; far away! He doesn’t want to hear your praise. So, praise louder! Your song doesn’t have to be in a rhyme. It doesn’t have to be succinct. It doesn’t have to be in any format or anything formal. It’s your song. You do what you want with it. Just let your soul sing without limitation.
Here’s a song that my spirit sprung last week in a prayer session:
Hallelujah, thank you Jesus
Hallelujah, thank you Lord
You are my sunshine
You are my love light
You are my flower blooming in the Spring
And my warmth in the Winter
You are the love of my life
You are my Joy
You are my Peace
You keep me standing tall
You keep my head up
Nothing can change the love we have
It’s that simple. Let your heart sing. Don’t wallow in your pain or your pity. You don’t have to put up with feelings of rejection. You don't have to feel bad or stuck in your hurt. It's just a fact that you won't always get the Yes you think you will get or assume will come through. You can make a choice not to get caught up in what's not happening. Get caught up in what God is going to do next even though you don't know what that is yet. Sing through your journey and let it carry you to your next answer, your next embrace, your next love, or your next approval. Create a new space to think better. Let it carry you to all of your moments of YES! And be confidant that God is with you and faith that He knows what He’s doing, on your behalf. His will is better than your desire. Trust it!
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.