Rejection A Challenge of Character

Life today is complex. There are so many options available to people that everyone wants the best. This means that some are bound to be rejected, to the choice of the other.

However, ‘rejection’ becomes a hard fact of life when the object and subject of ‘rejection’ is a human being. Especially, when friendship is rejected and when ‘love’ is turned down, “Rejection” becomes very tough to handle for the person concerned. Nevertheless, experience teaches us that “rejection” is a day to day reality. Knowingly or unknowingly we accept a certain option to the “rejection” of the other, but life goes on and we learn to live with it. Life cannot stop at “rejection”. Life is too precious! Rejection, “

when someone refuses to accept”, tests the character of a person. The affected party could either take it as a moment to redefine his/her priorities or can be swept away by the torrent of emotion that suppresses the various options and priorities of the person. It goes without saying that life as a Christian is not easy. It is a radical calling out of the world, to be a living light in the world.

It is worth remembering that even our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ was a victim of “Rejection”. During the earthly ministry of Jesus, He was rejected by His own people, but what kept Him going was His compassion and love for people, and His faith and love in His Father. Moreover, in “Rejection” Jesus prays for the forgiveness of all those who did wrong to Him – “Father forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34, NIV).

Jesus knows that He cannot stop at being rejected; rather He has a larger task at hand. He has to move ahead, complete the responsibility bestowed upon Him by the Father and take part in the redemption of all creation. He cannot be bogged down by “Rejection”! The history of Christianity is testimony to the fact that neither Jesus, nor His message could be kept down or “rejected”.

It shows that Jesus and the Gospel had life in themselves, and all those who have “life” move on! Yes, “Rejection” is tough – there is suffering, there is despair but “rejection” is not the end, there is the “Resurrection”! For many, young or old, male or female, intelligent or fool, rich or poor, high or low, “rejection” is a reality of life. Christians can only draw inspiration from their Saviour to confront ‘rejection’ and accept “life”. Maybe one can cope with rejection by attempting the following: Anchor your ship: Rejection is psychologically tough and can easily lead one to depression. It is important to realize that life is not of “one” option, rather of “innumerable ones”, and that rejection by one does not necessarily mean the end of everything.

Further, we need to anchor for a while to re-assess ourselves. Maybe one needs to just stop and let the emotion of rejection play itself out, but with the realization that “rejection” would not be allowed to overwhelm the person completely. At such moments, the Anchor has to be strong and needs to give us the hope of acceptance. It is worthwhile to remember that Jesus Christ has accepted us! God loves each and every one of us through Jesus Christ (John 3:16). Further, God has given us our loved ones, who always want the best for us, who care for us and seek our sincere happiness. So, we are blessed! Even in our rejected state, whichever it may be, there is our Lord who continues to love us and accept us as we are! Self-Evaluate your Options:

Strongly anchored in the self-belief that God accepts you and loves you, and that there are many others who do the same for you, take time to sit down and evaluate the variety of options available to purposefully live your life. One of the strong side-effects of a ‘rejection’ experience is that one feels- “there is no purpose in leading this wretched life”. However, one should remember that we as Christians are called for a purpose – “that the mighty works of God may be manifest in him”.

Hence, rejection should be taken as a positive opportunity to redefine our priorities in life, to take joy in realizing that our parents, brothers, sisters, friends or others in need are always seeking our help and participation in their lives. This does not mean that we intrude into the lives of others, rather participate along with them in developing a better relationship. There is so much to be done, and the world needs people who through their talents, character and dynamic action can give their contribution to a better living.

Moving on with a sense of purpose: Finally, the time for action. Life can never be static; rather it has to be dynamic. Inspired with the realization that God loves and cares for us and that there are priorities and dreams that need our urgent attention, we need to start moving on. Christianity never stopped at the rejection of Jesus Christ by the people of his time. Rather, it moved on in the life, dreams and actions of all those who themselves experienced rejection, inspired by the message of freedom and liberation.

Likewise, those who go through an experience of ‘rejection’ need to resurrect into action, not with hatred against those who rejected them but with love towards those who need their support, participation and concern. As we move on, we build our character; we free ourselves and make it more possible for others to see the beauty of love that we possess in Jesus Christ. “Rejection” from now becomes a thing of the past, something that cannot put us down anymore; rather it becomes something which brings out our best! Thus “Rejection” challenges our personality. It challenges our character and the way we look at life. God created us in His own image and likeness and hence “rejection” does not mean that we are inferior to anybody, rather it is just a part and parcel of our life of plenty, and the choices that we make. On our part, as Christians we have the responsibility to set an example for others to follow, and even in our own ‘rejection’ we need to draw inspiration from our Lord and seek to purposefully lead our lives. In doing so, we build our character, realize our potential and also make a difference in the world in which we live!