Rejection isn't what immediately comes to mind when we think about the people we admire and aspire to be like, but the truth is, regardless of how hugely successful someone is, at some time or another many will have experienced rejection.
JK Rowling recently shared letters of rejection via Twitter that she received in response to manuscripts she'd sent to publishers prior to the success of her hugely popular Harry Potter series. Rowling said her motivation behind sharing the letters was to inspire her followers. At first glance, there doesn't seem to be anything inspiring about rejection. The feelings alone that it conjures up are enough to make us fear it. And we do. And that can stop us doing any number of things. But as with most experiences, rejection doesn't have to be all doom and gloom. It may seem an unlikely outcome, but moments of rejection can be the moments in which we find our faith for real.
A stark reminder that we need God
It's not that God doesn't want us to be successful, but the way he defines success differs from how we define it in society. When everything's going our way, we can feel so independent and powerful that we can unwittingly act as if we're completely responsible for every great opportunity and achievement. On the other hand, even when we acknowledge that God's at work in our lives and praise him for the goodness, when things turn sour, we can draw the same conclusions. When we've been turned down, turning to God can reinforce our belief that we do all things through him.
A test of our faith
Rejection tests our trust in God because if we're to overcome it and view it in a positive light, we need to believe that even though an element of our plan has fallen through, God's plan for us is greater. This can be extremely difficult when our hearts are set on maintaining a relationship with a childhood friend, securing what we think is our dream job or marrying who we believe is our life partner. But genuine trust in God requires us to be confident that he is in control, especially when we feel like we're not.
An opportunity to show love and mercy
Every single day we find ourselves in positions of power and sometimes it takes an experience of rejection to remind us of this. God first showed us love and mercy and we're called to display these same principles in our interactions with one another, but this doesn't mean we do it as much as we should. Our emotional response to dismissal can help us to refocus on these commands. Jesus wasn't accepted by many people during his time on earth but he never allowed this rejection to inform the way he responded to others. His example of acceptance in often very trying circumstances can inspire us to do the same.
