Encouragement

“Before I was born the Lord called me; from my birth He has made mention of my Name. He said to me, “You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will display My splendor.” (v.16) I will never forget you. I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.” Isaiah 49:1,3,8 The words of God spoken lovingly to his children. His intent is for us to remind ourselves of them and also be aware that certain things in our worlds can make us question our significance. Rejection, for one…Yikes, it hits us in our core, threatening our sense of belonging and making us question our worth and value. It’s not pretty and its definitely not fun. Why does it hurt so badly? Interestingly enough, I was reading an article that made it make perfect sense. It said, “When scientist placed people in functional MRI machines and asked them to recall a recent rejection, they discovered something amazing. The same areas of our brain become activated when we experience rejection as when we experience physical pain. That’s why even small rejections hurt more than we think they should, b/c they elicit literal emotional pain.” Rejection can make us question our worth as we often feel “thrown aside” or easily forgotten. Though that is not the truth, it can certainly seem that way. There is a temptation to shut down and listen to the mean thoughts the enemy invites us to accept. The thoughts that make us feel fearful or condemned. In hopes of oppressing us, he invites us to isolate and suggest that we make a personal pledge to build our wall higher and never let anyone “in” again. And I’ll be honest the long term “hibernation” can occasionally seem appealing. Depending on what stage of sadness I’m in usually is indicated by how much chocolate and caffeine is present. Ha! Back to pointing us in the right direction. I value how God is not some positive, push your feelings down self-help coach! He knows the problem that can lead to. Therefore, just like a good parent and/or knowledgeable counselor, God never minimizes our pain. Psalm 22 speaks into such hurt that has the potential to push us forward or prevent us from continuing with what He calls us to do. He beckons us to be honest with our struggles. “Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish? Do not be far from me, the trouble is near and there is no one to help. You are my strength; come quickly to help me.” Psalm 22: 1,11,19 God has never avoided our questions, nor does He discourage us to ask them. The psalmist poses questions that give us insight into his own internal struggles. Had God abandoned him? Was God rejecting him too? Was this rejection a sign of God’s discipline or perhaps even favor (as we see so many heroes of the faith went through enormous bouts of rejection, ex- David – 1 Samuel 16)? “For the Lord will NOT reject His people; He will never forsake his inheritance.” Psalms 94:14 “Before I was born the Lord called me; from my birth He has made mention of my Name. He said to me, “You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will display My splendor.” (v.16) I will never forget you. I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.” Isaiah 49:1,3,8  We must remind ourselves of what God says and sees. God wanted you to know that He called you while still in your mother’s womb. The very first voice speaking into your life was His. You are not an accident. You are not less than! He formed you for intentional purpose as you and I would carry qualities of the living God into a needy world. He used imagery that we are familiar with to deepen understanding about his love for us. He engraved your name in the palm of his hand, burning your letters into the very tender layers of skin. “You, Lord, hear the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them and you listen to their cry; defending the fatherless and the oppressed, so that earthly mortals will never strike terror again.” Psalm 10:17-18. The enemy wants us to be victims, not overcomers. He wants us to get stuck in hate, bitterness, doubt and self-abuse. We have to be careful we don’t jump on board. Sounds extreme, but left undone, it can happen. In times of rejection, ask Jesus to give you, HIS perspective. Give Him time and prayer. Lean in and contemplate. Sometimes, God allows rejection because we began to replace a person for God. In other words, their opinions became our truth. We become somewhat emotionally dependent on a human. The temporary pain of the withdrawal of their friendship can protect us from a much bigger pain if we continue to seek people rather than God. His influence in our lives has to remain primary. He truly is the lover of our souls and cares the most deeply for us! He is not abandoning us but allowing rejection to redirect our affections and attention. He has things for us to know but we have to be with Him to hear. Sometimes, God allows rejection because He has a different plan for us and it may be necessary for certain doors to close in order for others to open. Sometimes rejection is a part of the process in order for us to continue growing in where God is taking us and who He is making us to be. What feels like pain, can be a pathway to a freedom that would not have otherwise been attained. “Since God intends to make you like Jesus, he will take you through the same experiences Jesus went through. That includes loneliness, temptation, stress, criticism, rejection, and many other problems.” Rick Warren At times, what we feel is rejection