one of the most common spiritual challenges that people go through, and even psychological challenges that people go through.
And when you look at suggestions from psychotherapists about how to overcome rejection. One thing that keeps resounding is remind yourself of your value. Know your worth. Remind yourself of your worth. But let me tell you something. Many of us, we connect our worth to our relationships. We connect our worth to our job, to our communities. So you can imagine where those things become the spaces where you are experiencing rejection, how that impacts you. So [00:07:00] I found out that I cannot know my worth outside of a higher power. I cannot remind myself of my value if I don't have someone bigger, someone more powerful than those who have rejected me.
Telling me who I am. That's where we talk about who am I in Christ Jesus.
And just the knowledge that somebody loves me completely and totally in spite of the negative Things I have been told by others, like telling you, you're not enough, treating you as if you're not enough, treating you like you're unwanted, rejecting you when you are able to say someone loves me [00:08:00] just the way I am. How does that make you feel?
And when I was looking at this, I just wanted to see a scripture that reminds us so much of this you Love, this value that's been placed on us. One scripture that came up for me was Jeremiah 31 verse 3. And I'm going to read it in three different versions, translations of the Bible.
The New International Version says, The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying, I have loved you with an everlasting love. I have drawn you with unfailing kindness. I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.
The Message says, I have never quit loving you and I never will. [00:09:00] It says, expect love, love, and more love. Can you imagine that? In fact, if you go to verse 4 in The Message it says, And so now I will start over with you and build you up again. Because you know what? That's what love does. That's what love does. Thanks.
Another version of the Bible is The Passion Translation. This is what it says, Yahweh, Yahweh, appeared to me from another realm and said, I have deeply loved you with a forever love. That is why I have been so patient and kind to draw you to my heart.
You are deeply loved. And this love is not [00:10:00] for a moment, it is forever. And no matter how impatient humans around you are to you, this scripture tells us that God is patient with you and kind to you. That's why he has drawn you to his heart.
You are precious.
So, your value is not in how you look, what you do, what you say. Your value is just, is just part of who you are. God loves you just the way you are. Because of that love, you are enough. And so you might be saying to me now, Oh, you might have heard, God is a holy God. I've done X, Y, Z. I [00:11:00] don't even believe in him.
But do you know what he says again in the book of Romans, chapter 30, chapter 8, verses 31 to 39, regarding How it is impossible for you to be separated from his law. He says, what shall we say about such wonderful things as these, as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? So all these people that are rejecting you, the job people that are rejecting you, church people that are rejecting you, the community people that are rejecting you, family members that are rejecting you, so called friends, God says, even if somebody is trying to be against you, they cannot because, because he is for you.
Since he did not spare even his own son, but gave him up for us all, won't he also [00:12:00] give us everything else? What do you need? Somebody, some, some people think that, okay, when I dress in a certain way, then people will accept me. Well, God is saying, even if that's what you need to feel, just, you need something to hold on to. He can give you everything because he gave you his only son to die for you. Amen. Amen.
Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? Who dares accuse you? Who dares tell you you're not good enough? Who is that one that is daring?
The truth is that no one can. Their positions on earth might make them feel that they have power over you, but they do not. For God himself has given us right standing with himself.[00:13:00]
The Message translation says, Who would dare tangle with God by messing with one of God's chosen? Who would dare even to point a finger?
Now, verse 35 says, Can anything ever separate us from Christ's love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity or are persecuted or hungry or destitute or in danger or threatened with death? Death. This is so, so profound for many of us when we struggle, when we are going through hard times. Then most, that is when we most experience rejection because we don't fit into the group's group, group, uh, [00:14:00] narrative anymore. We are, we have trouble in our lives and this group is about looking like you are all put together. So people who were your friends, begin to have an arm's length relationship with you.
What this scripture is saying, if you were ever in trouble. Does it mean that he no longer loves you? If you are hungry or destitute, do you think that means He no longer loves you. The Message translation says homelessness. If you were homeless, does it mean he doesn't love you?
I don't know what you're going through right now, where you are, right at this moment. What lack you are experiencing. What limits have surrounded you? I just want to remind you of God's word. [00:15:00] He says, Verse 37, No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours. And I am convinced that nothing can separate, can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow, not even the powers of hell can separate you from God's love.
No power in the sky above or in the earth below. Indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus, our Lord.
Do you know what the Message translation says about this part, it says [00:16:00] I'm absolutely convinced that nothing, nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable, absolutely nothing can get between us and God's love Because of the way that Jesus, our master has embraced us.
Something stands out for me – that angelic or demonic. So, are you right now listening and saying, I'm a sinner and I'm not perfect. I'm not good enough. That is a lie from the pits of hell. I want you to be reminded that Jesus loves you. I come against every spirit of rejection that is holding you in its grasp, Lying to you that you're not good enough. I speak over you, the word of God. You are loved. You are blessed. You are highly favored. [00:17:00] You are great. Just the way God made you. The Bible says that before you were formed in your mother's womb, he knew you, he made you to the specification of your purpose on earth.
There was a time in my life. It was, somebody might even have told you this too. You talk too much. You should lose weight. You are too emotional all those things that they say to you to make you feel that you're less than. I want to tell you That God loves you just the way you are because that's what he has told us in his word And I want you to know that nothing can separate you from his love in Jesus mighty name I speak peace into your heart and I ask you When you feel the rejection [00:18:00] coming to you, I want you to take this episode, listen to it again, and remind yourself that you're loved.
There's a song, I can remember and it says
“I Have Loved You,
I have drawn you
With my loving kindness”
He loves you. Never, ever forget that. And when you do that, messy won't stop you. Thank you so much for listening. See you next time.
