Rejection and Forgiveness
Last week's sermon really spoke to me, and I thought it'd be good to record it somewhere. Like what Pastor Daniel Ho shared with us, rejection often leads to these consequences:
1. Hurt
2. Anger with God and people
3. Withdrawal (to protect themselves) or
4. Approval seeking
5. Insecurity
6.Over-sensitivity
7. Inability to give or receive love.
The only way to overcome rejection is to forgive those who rejected us. Once we choose to forgive that person, we are set free. Just think about it, when we are angry with that other party for rejecting us, who is the one that's affected? It's us. It's not the other party. We keep harbouring thoughts and actions that want to hurt that person back by not forgiving that person, thinking we are getting back at them, but ultimately it's ourselves who suffer. Just like what Pastor Benny said the other day, we are like the person next to a snorer, trying to sleep. No wonder the Bible talks so much about forgiving the person who has done us wrong. In Romans 12:14, God says, "Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse." Forgiveness also has a promise. In Luke 6:37, it is written "Forgive, and you will be forgiven."
As much as God wants to heal our hurt and love us, unforgiveness, a choice that we make, blocks His healing and love from flowing to us. A person who harbours unforgiveness is often filled with anger, resentment, bitterness and self-pity and has little or no ability to feel loved and love others. Therefore, while it's not easy to make that choice of forgiving the other party, we have got to, to be set free. And when we choose to, God's agape love will flow to us and heal us from the hurt of rejection. His love, unlike ours, is not based on merit but on grace. We've just got to make a choice.
1. Hurt
2. Anger with God and people
3. Withdrawal (to protect themselves) or
4. Approval seeking
5. Insecurity
6.Over-sensitivity
7. Inability to give or receive love.
The only way to overcome rejection is to forgive those who rejected us. Once we choose to forgive that person, we are set free. Just think about it, when we are angry with that other party for rejecting us, who is the one that's affected? It's us. It's not the other party. We keep harbouring thoughts and actions that want to hurt that person back by not forgiving that person, thinking we are getting back at them, but ultimately it's ourselves who suffer. Just like what Pastor Benny said the other day, we are like the person next to a snorer, trying to sleep. No wonder the Bible talks so much about forgiving the person who has done us wrong. In Romans 12:14, God says, "Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse." Forgiveness also has a promise. In Luke 6:37, it is written "Forgive, and you will be forgiven."
As much as God wants to heal our hurt and love us, unforgiveness, a choice that we make, blocks His healing and love from flowing to us. A person who harbours unforgiveness is often filled with anger, resentment, bitterness and self-pity and has little or no ability to feel loved and love others. Therefore, while it's not easy to make that choice of forgiving the other party, we have got to, to be set free. And when we choose to, God's agape love will flow to us and heal us from the hurt of rejection. His love, unlike ours, is not based on merit but on grace. We've just got to make a choice.
posted by Della at 6:38 AM
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