Welcome my friend, come on in & join me in a cuppa while we reflect upon some important issues today.
Let’s grab our mugs filled with our favourite beverage, a treat & get comfy for our time together.
I’m having an ‘ol favourite today a mug of Earl Grey tea accompanied by a slice of my home baked gf Apricot Date Loaf. Both delicious & comforting!
A picnic by the Waterfront
Yesterday, as I was having a discussion with an old friend (you met her in 2018 in Matters of the Heart) who had joined me for a picnic by the waterfront not far from my home. The topic of rejection & exclusion arose as we were catching up on some recent events in our lives, for we hadn’t seen each other in quite some time.
She gently stated that I had experienced a great deal of rejection & exclusion in my life by certain people who professed to love me, I agreed.
However, I shared the following with her;
it’s what you do with the rejection & exclusion that matters.
Yes, I have indeed experienced this over a long period of time from these individuals.
So what do we do with Rejection & Exclusion?
The short answer is that we have the power to choose, we either walk as a Victim or a Victor! It’s entirely up to us.
You see rejection & exclusion go hand in hand. And are wielded as emotional weapons to try & hurt someone. As seen in the following definitions;
Exclusion is the act of not allowing someone to take part, leaving them out.
Rejection is the action of disregarding (excluding) another.
Did you notice the words act & action in the above definitions? This tells us that these are deliberate acts specifically to cause emotional wounding.
My friend asked how I had coped with this type of continual rejection over the years because she’d noticed that I hadn’t become bitter about the situation.
My reply was simple, I continually look to the Lord for His grace, strength & wisdom. I place boundaries on these relationships with these individuals.
Not allowing these emotional weapons to hurt me for I Shield My Heart by wearing the full armour of God, so that the weapons that are meant to wound simply do not!
What is the full Armour of God?
It’s a metaphor for how we’re to spiritually protect ourselves in the spiritual battle we’re in, that often manifests itself in the world of relationships.
The metaphor is from the following scripture;
‘…stand firm and hold your ground, having tightened the wide band of truth (personal integrity, moral courage) around your waist
and having put on the breastplate of righteousness (an upright heart),
and having strapped on your feet the gospel of peace in preparation [to face the enemy with firm-footed stability and the readiness produced by the good news].
Above all, lift up the [protective] shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.‘
Ephesians 6: 14 – 17 AMP
You see Victory comes through walking daily with the Spirit of God – the Holy Spirit.
For we are living in a great spiritual battle with an enemy roaming this Earth looking to not only emotionally hurt us but spiritually devour whom he can, we’re seeing this more & more in our societies.
And it’s only through Jesus, our Messiah, do we have victory on this battlefield for He is the Overcomer.
So my friend if you’re experiencing Rejection & Exclusion but wanting Victory, then get that full armour of God on through Jesus. And if you don’t know Him yet as your Saviour, then join me now in Prayer .
Until next time,
Jennifer
You’re most welcome to join me in The Reading Nook
© 2024 Jennifer M. Ross, All Rights Reserved. Photo by Darcy Lawrey at pexels.com
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Such an amazing post!!
Thank you Mel! Lovely having you drop by today. 😊
I enjoyed your post on Warrnambool too!
So crucial that our most important feedback is God’s good opinion of us!
Amen Michele!
Thank you, Jennifer, for this encouragement. I struggle with rejection from way back in my childhood, and this perspective is refreshing.
You’re most welcome Donna. Rejection can have a long lasting impact upon our lives, I’m so glad we find acceptance in God’s love through our Saviour Jesus 🥰
Jennifer, this is such a wise and encouraging post. It is true that both exclusion and rejection will be experienced by all of us at some point in our lives. It is also true that our response at those times is important to our spiritual, physical, and emotional well being. I am so grateful you shared the Scripture from the AMP for it was the wording which was most eye-opening: “‘…stand firm and hold your ground, having tightened the wide band of truth (personal integrity, moral courage) around your waist.” In those times, we must tighten the band of truth (our integrity and courage) around our waist. I cannot even tell you how that wording has struck deeply this morning. May God bless you, friend, for all you share!
I’m so glad that you found a blessing here this morning sweet friend ❤️
Thank you for these precious Scriptures dear Jennifer. I have found it to be so true (& keep learning it anew) that it really is only our Lord who can keep us through every act and action meant to harm us. He truly is so faithful. Blessings to you!
p.s. one of my all time favorite teas is Earl Grey! ❤️
Thank you Bettie & blessings to you too sweet friend ❤️! I love that you enjoy Earl Grey too! 😊
Rejection and exclusion will ultimately come to all of us in various ways over a lifetime. As Christ followers we know Jesus experienced it as well and much in scripture points to your discerning and wise words in this post, Jennifer. We must not be duped into believing we have no responsibility or choice in our responses and surely the Lord can and does point the way as we lean into and on Him during such times and with such wounds. Blessings, Pam
Thank you Pam 😊 & blessings to you my friend.
Rejection & exclusion hurt the most when they come from those who are supposed to love us unconditionally.
I agree Barb…
I have certainly felt exclusion and rejection as most have. We don’t have to carry it with us, if we are wearing the armor of God that enables us to stand firm in God’s grace. Thank you, Jennifer for your timely reminders. Blessings my sweet friend!
Pam
Your welcome Pam. Yes, that’s a good point we don’t need to carry back packs of hurt with us, that would only weigh us down spiritually, as well as, emotionally. Blessings to you sweet friend 💕