Turn Rejection into Favor

Jesus was well acquainted with rejection. Throughout His life and in the events leading to His death, He confronted disbelief and scorn. The ultimate rejection occurred when Jesus was on the cross, when He bore the sins of all humanity. At that time, God the Father turned away from His Son, as Jesus cried, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mt.27:46)

Jesus was rejected, ignored, and was cast off. He knew that His message would be received by some, but mocked by others. He knew that the truth of His message would eventually cause the ultimate rejection: His crucifixion. But He stayed the course, forgiving those who caused His death.

From Jesus’ example you can learn how to handle rejection. Man’s rejection is nothing compared to God’s rejection. Jesus chose to pay the price even in His darkest moment so that you would never have to know God’s rejection.

I believe that, to a certain degree or another, you may have felt the sting of rejection. Your good friend may have given you a cold shoulder for no apparent reason. People may have looked at you with one eye, they may have insulted you, and maybe your own family member may have ignored you when you needed help the most. Your classmate may have ridiculed your faith, your trusted friend may have left you, and even your spouse may not love you anymore.

You can turn man’s rejection into God’s favor.

If there is a rejected community in the biblical history, it’s the Moabites. The Moabites were rejected not only because of their ancestral history, but also because of the way they treated the children of Israel.

Read the book of Ruth and you will learn that Ruth was a Moabite. She was a foreigner, a minority, and she didn’t come from a tribe with a good background. But favor has nothing to do with all of these things. Ruth went on with her life. She remained faithful and she was a hard-working woman. If God is for you, who can be against you? Remember that the ultimate favor is in Jesus Christ. When He was on earth, He proclaimed the year of the Lord’s favor. (see Lk. 4:19)

Ruth knew what favor could do. Because of favor she married Boaz, a man of great wealth. However, Boaz didn’t have a good family background either. His mother was a well-known prostitute in town. He knew exactly what rejection meant. I could imagine people must have gossiped about him and his family throughout his life — but Boaz went on with his life.

If you are going through rejection in your life, don’t become discouraged or be embittered. If your friend turns away, don’t hold a grudge. Do what Jesus did: forgive and then go on with your life.

Ponder this verse in Matthew 1:5-6, “Salmon was the father of Boaz (whose mother was Rahab).  Boaz was the father of Obed (whose mother was Ruth).  Obed was the father of Jesse.  Jesse was the father of King David.”

Your past cannot determine your future. What you do with your life now will determine your future. Live your life according to the word of God and turn rejection into favor.