Daily devotion: When rejection falls.
Being Mature When We Face Rejection
“And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet.” — Matthew 10:14
As we approach each new day as followers of Christ, a mature, faith-filled, and trusting attitude needs to be part of our everyday mindset. One of the marks of spiritual maturity is learning how to respond when we face rejection.
Too often, when we share the Gospel with someone and they reject our reaching out to them, we can become discouraged. If we are immature in our thinking, we may “bail” and decide that we will never try witnessing again. Perhaps we approach someone and ask if we can pray for them, only to hear them say, “No.” We can be tempted to draw a line in the sand and say to ourselves, “I’ll never do that again!”
But if we took that approach to life in general, we would never get back on a bicycle after falling off. We would never play an active sport again because we lost a game. We would never sit another exam because we failed one or didn’t receive 100%. Failure and rejection are part of life. The mature person learns from them, gets back up, and keeps moving forward.
Jesus prepared His disciples for rejection. He did not tell them that everyone would welcome them, listen to them, or respond positively to their message. He said:
“And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet.” — Matthew 10:14
Notice what Jesus did not say: He did not tell them to give up. He told them to move on.
When the Apostle Paul preached in Athens, not everyone received his message. Acts 17:32 tells us:
“And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, while others said, ‘We will hear you again on this matter.’”
Some mocked Paul. Others were curious. The response was mixed, but Paul did not allow rejection to silence him. He continued faithfully proclaiming Christ.
Our responsibility is to faithfully proclaim the Gospel and leave the results with God. We cannot control how people respond to the message. Some will listen. Some will reject it. Some may mock us. Others may say, “I will hear you again.” And some may not respond immediately but may remember our words years later.
The Great Commission does not come with a condition that says we are to preach only when people receive us, thank us, or respond politely.
Jesus Himself was rejected. He was mocked, despised, falsely accused, beaten, and ultimately crucified. Yet even as He hung upon the cross, He prayed for those who were putting Him to death:
“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” — Luke 23:34
What an example of spiritual maturity!
We must learn to distinguish between rejection of us and rejection of the message. When someone rejects the Gospel, we should not take it personally. Ultimately, they are responding to Christ and His truth. Our calling is simply to be faithful messengers.
Jesus told His disciples:
“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.” — Matthew 10:16
We need wisdom. We need gentleness. We need discernment. We should never be argumentative, obnoxious, or needlessly confrontational. But neither should we allow rejection to make us fearful or silent.
Paul encouraged Timothy:
“Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season.” — 2 Timothy 4:2
That means we remain faithful whether the response is encouraging or discouraging, whether people listen or walk away, whether we are thanked or mocked.
Perhaps today someone will reject your invitation to church. Perhaps someone will refuse your offer of prayer. Perhaps someone will dismiss your attempt to share what Jesus has done in your life.
Don’t let one rejection determine your future obedience.
Shake the dust from your feet and keep walking.
There are still people who need to hear. There are still people searching. There are still people whom God may bring across your path. And we simply do not know what God may do with the seed we faithfully plant.
Paul reminds us:
“I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.” — 1 Corinthians 3:6
Our task is faithfulness. The increase belongs to God.
So let us grow in spiritual maturity. Let us not become discouraged when people reject us. Let us not allow one negative response to silence our testimony. Let us remain wise as serpents and gentle as doves, trusting the Lord with the outcome.
Every day, let us continue proclaiming the greatest message this world has ever heard:
Jesus Christ saves!
And may we never stop telling others about His love, His mercy, His grace, and His salvation.
“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” — Mark 16:15
Be faithful. Be courageous. Be gentle. Be persistent.
Leave the results with God.