Rejection is being told no to an opportunity or not being able to be a part of something that you had been looking forward to doing. Rejection is a part of life and is something you may experience more often as you start to open yourself up to new opportunities. Being rejected by someone in any situation can cause all kinds of feelings ranging from confusion or disappointment to frustration or feeling lost. This devotional can help you reflect on rejection and offer you encouragement to help you grow through your experience.

But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. - Matthew 7:14 NIV

Rejection can be hard because it forces us to change our expectations and usually leaves us feeling disappointed, confused or hurt. Change is not easy, especially when we had a lot of hope for how something might turn out. Rejection means learning to adapt and sometimes includes working through the pain and hurt caused by being rejected.

Some people may handle rejection well, taking it in stride and rolling with the changes. However, that is not an easy thing to do for most people. For a lot of us, rejection is difficult and emotional. You may feel disappointed and maybe even confused about what you are supposed to do now. It can be frustrating to not understand why you were rejected or to disagree with the reason.

Even worse, you may have been deeply hurt during the process of rejection because of how someone communicated or simply because of how important the situation was for you.

Keep trying to put yourself out there when you feel an opportunity is right for you. Be open to the possibility of rejection and have hope in God’s plan for you. Rejection from one thing could lead you down a path you wouldn’t have considered before but that may bring you more joy and blessings than you thought possible.

He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. - Isaiah 53:3

Jesus faced rejection from family, his community and from those he called his closest followers. He had to go through the natural human emotional response and felt disappointment and hurt like we do. Jesus continued to move forward despite those who rejected him because he had trust in God’s bigger plan. We can feel comforted knowing Jesus knows the sting of being rejected by those he was close to. He can empathize with us and his life shows us that even when rejection is painful and confusing, God can and will work all things out for good.

Though my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will receive me. - Psalm 27:10

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Dealing with rejection means moving forward and figuring out what is next for you. Your plans may have to change, but this doesn’t mean you need to give up hope. By taking time to process through the emotions you are feeling may help you grow from the experience.

Don’t let rejection stop you from trying again. Some things were not meant for us and learning to let go of those opportunities and move on to something better for us is very valuable. God can use rejection to steer you towards what he has planned for your life and away from what wasn’t meant for you. We may not understand now what that plan is but being open to that plan means being open to rejection and redirection.