“In return for my friendship they accuse me, but I am a man of prayer.
They repay me evil for good, and hatred for my friendship.” (Psalm 109:4-5 NIV)
When your friendship is rejected, pray. When you did good and received evil, pray. When a friend accuses you falsely, pray. Before you do anything else, stop and pray. If you take a moment to talk to God, you won’t regret your decision. You won’t say or do something that will compound hurt feelings by acting rashly. You will begin to calm your emotions and gain a better perspective. When your friendship is rejected, pray.
When your friendship is rejected, pray.
We all experience rejection. If you are an adult, you understand rejection is part of life. When we understand the motives behind the rejection, we can accept it better. Praying helps us understand the intent. When we pray and seek God’s wisdom, He’ll give us His vision. He’ll help us see our offender as He sees them. We are all children in His eyes. Often, when God helps me see them through His eyes, I see the children they once were.
The vast majority of us had good childhoods, especially compared to third world countries. We grew up with clothes on our back, food in our bellies and a roof over our heads. Many of us had a period of innocence in our lives when our hearts weren’t broken. A time where our biggest worry was what game to play next. At some point, we had our first heartbreak, then our second and third. Each time another layer formed around our heart, protection from future hurts. But the layers don’t work, we are hurt again. Eventually the soft, open heart of innocence is replaced by the hardened heart of brokenness. In our pain of rejection, we reject others.
Not only are we rejected, we reject people. In our brokenness, we are distrusting. When we distrust, we reject not only those whose intent is to harm, but those whose intent is to help. Praying can help us determine what to do, not only when we’re rejected, but when we reject others. Praying is opening up our hearts to receive God’s goodness. Our broken hearts heal and soften in His care.
We will receive God’s grace as we share our heart with Him in prayer. In His healing hands, we are healed. Our softened hearts overflow with His love and mercy. We will extend grace from our abundance, reflecting God to our broken friend. As we share our hearts with each other, reflecting God in our relationships, God’s Kingdom will grow. His light shines so brightly through us, people can’t resist it. The pain of rejection becomes the miracle of healing when we pray. In the face of rejection, make prayer your answer.
Question of the Day:
What rejection do you need to talk to God about today?
Further Reading: 1 Samuel 14:1-52 NIV, John 7:31-53 NIV, Psalm 109:1-31NIV, Proverbs 15:5-7 NIV
