What Are You Doing Here? | When People Disappoint Us | Rejection

 “…they are rejecting me, not you. They don’t want me to be their king any longer.” 1 Samuel 8:7 

Rejection hurts. You’ve poured your life, your resources, your trust into someone and they betrayed you. Abandoned you. They didn’t want you. Rejection by someone you’ve loved feels like open heart surgery without benefit of anesthesia. And when they reject you because you were trying to do what was right, the wound goes even deeper. Samuel felt that way when Israel shoved him aside. He was Israel’s prophet. He’d brought the very words of God to them, but they didn’t want that anymore. They wanted a king like the pagan nations around them had. But in rejecting Samuel, they were rejecting God.

Samuel handled his disappointment correctly. Instead of shouting back, running away, or giving up, he went to God. God reminded him that it was not Samuel they were rejecting, it was the Lord. Samuel had given them God’s instruction, but they didn’t want it. They were choosing the world over their Creator. Thousands of years later, Jesus said this about it: “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first” (John 15:18). When we get serious about following Jesus, some people won’t like it. When we stop partying, sleeping around, getting high, or cussing, it makes them mad. They may call names, spread lies, and reject us. But when we’re rejected by people for remaining true to God’s word, the Lord reminds us: “It not you they are rejecting, it’s me.” And when the Lord is on our side, we are in the majority (Romans 8:31).

Final Thought:  When we are rejected for staying faithful to God’s word, we’re in good company. 

Prayer: Lord, you know how badly I’ve been hurt by rejection. Sometimes it was my fault. But from now on if people reject me, it’s because I’m standing with you. I am willing to be rejected by people as long as I’m pleasing you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.