Overcoming The Spirit Of Rejection Series

Rejection means to cast aside; to throw away; to put side.

It can refer to a person or a thing as if not up to some standard.

When you reject a person, it shows him or her that he is unacceptable, of no value, doesn't belong, unwanted, can't fit in and unloved.

Rejection communicates this message through a disgusted look, disdain, an impatient answer, a snub or through silence.

Rejection is one of the most common tools that the devil uses to destroy our lives.

It can attack any person whether young or old, rich or poor.

It can be deeply rooted and woven into their identities since childhood.

It can destroy our self-esteem and prevent us from accomplishing our God-given purposes in life.

It can happen in many forms.

For instance, you might be passed over at work for a promotion you deserved.

Or a group of people rejected your presence or your ideas.

Whatever the case, we've all experienced some kinds of rejection and we know it hurts.

In fact, many people who have faced rejection and abuse as a child grow up with unresolved emotional wounds.

And these wounds can bring about a bunch of other sins such as unforgiveness, envy, blaming God, jealousy and many others.

Those spiritual wounds when not dealt with are open doors for the evil spirits to invade and occupy.

Here are other symptoms of Rejection:

(I took this from great Bible study.com)

* Fabricated personalities (being somebody you aren't, in order to be accepted)

* The tendency to reject others, so that you aren't the first one to be rejected

* A tendency to always wonder if a person rejects or accepts you

* The need to fit in or be accepted by others and be a part of everything

* Self-pity where a person feels bad for themselves being all alone

* Inability to be corrected or receive constructive criticism

* A feeling of being starved for love even though a lot of people loves you or just don't fit in

* A tendency to blame God ("Why did He give me this big nose? Why did God make me so short?")

* A sense of pride that says, "How dare they reject me!"

* Opinionated personality and the need to be right about things

* Feelings of worthlessness, insecurity, or hopelessness

* Envy, jealousy, and even hate can be rooted in rejection

* Fear of confrontation (because your identity is based upon what they think of you)

These and more are just some of the symptoms of rejection.

But here is the truth.

We have been created to be loved, to be accepted and appreciated by everyone of us.

Rejection therefore opposes the very nature that God created in us.

Only God can be trusted as the source of our real identity.

God never wanted us to feel rejected or abandoned.

He wants us to be loved and accepted.

In fact, the Bible states it this way.

Psalm 27:10(NIV) " Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me."

Think about it. Even if our own parents or family members will forsake us, God will always receive us and will never abandon us.

Therefore, your identity as a person does not come from others who rejected you.

Your identity comes from God who created you and loves you so much.

And so, if you feel this spirit of rejection in you, there is hope. Reject it.

You can be changed by the grace of God.

As we continue our study in the Book of Judges, we are going to focus on the life of Jephthah who was rejected by his family as a child but he was able to overcome the symptoms of rejection and rose up to become the next ruler of Israel.

WHAT WE CAN LEARN FROM THE LIFE OF JEPHTHAH

1. HE WAS REJECTED

Judges 11:1-3 (NIV) “Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty warrior. His father was Gilead; his mother was a prostitute. 2 Gilead’s wife also bore him sons, and when they were grown up, they drove Jephthah away. “You are not going to get any inheritance in our family,” they said, “because you are the son of another woman.” 3 So Jephthah fled from his brothers and settled in the land of Tob, where a gang of scoundrels gathered around him and followed him.

According to verse 1, Jephthah the Gilead was a mighty warrior.

In other Bible translation, he is called "mighty man" because of his bravery, his valor, his strength, his ability and efficiency in battle.

Hence, he was being identified as a very courageous and powerful man.

He was the kind of a man who did what needed to be done in every situation that he faced in life.