THE IMPACT OF REJECTION

BIBLE PASSAGE:
And the Lord told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you;
it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king.”
(1 Samuel 8:7)

MEDITATION:
Whenever we feel rejected, we wonder why, don’t we? We ask ourselves
what have we done (or not done) to cause this rejection from someone.
On the other hand, if we are rejecting someone, we should ask ourselves
what has caused us to reject the other person (who was also created by God).

As difficult as it may be, rejection can be teaching moments for us.
For instance, whenever we return something to a store, they ask why
we are returning the item. Why do they do that? Because they want
to collect information to help them with improving their product.

Whenever we are involved in a project and we make suggestions
that are rejected by the others involved, we may discover some
flaws in our views that we overlooked.

Israel was a country that wanted a change in their leadership. Samuel
was old, and his sons were not considered good candidates to succeed
him. So, the elders came together and asked Samuel to appoint them
a king.
    “They said to him, “You are old, and your sons do not
      follow your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such
      as all the other nations have.”
      (1 Samuel 8:5)

Their request made Samuel feel rejected. However, God assured him
that he was not the one being rejected; the people were rejecting God.
God also told Samuel that this was not something new for them, it was
a habit of the people that had frequently appeared in their lives.
    As they have done from the day I brought them up
    out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving
    other gods, so they are doing to you.
    (1 Samuel 8:8)

Why were they rejecting God? Because they wanted to be like
other nations and serve other gods. Their focus had shifted
from God, to comparing themselves with other nations.
    “Then we will be like all the other nations,
      with a king to lead us and to go out before
      us and fight our battles.”
      (1 Samuel 8:20)

They rejected an unseen God to lead them into battle and wanted
a visible king instead, even though God was the One who brought
them out of bondage.

God told Samuel to warn them about the dangers of having a king
appointed to lead them.
    “Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly
      and let them know what the king who will
      reign over them will claim as his rights.”
      (1 Samuel 8:9)

In 1 Samuel 8:10-17, we see that Samuel warned them and gave them
details of everything they could expect if they followed through with
appointing a king. He also told them that when they discovered they
had made a mistake by rejecting God, that He would not hear their
cries of disappointment with their appointed king.
    “When that day comes, you will cry out for relief
      from the king you have chosen, but the Lord will
      not answer you in that day.”
      (1 Samuel 8:18)

However they disregarded the warnings of Samuel and wanted
an appointed king because they wanted to be like other nations.

Did they have a good reason for asking for a king? No, but it
was not an unusual request. God’s way is often rejected – not
for a better way, but for a preferred way. Just as Israel wanted
what other nations had, the way of the world still appeals to
people today.

People are allowing the media, movies, music, etc. to remold
them into a worldly way of thinking, which doesn’t have room
for God (but has plenty of room for a type of ‘religion’).

God told Samuel that if they still wanted a king,
then appoint them a king.
    The Lord answered, “Listen to them and give them
    a king.” Then Samuel said to the Israelites, “Everyone
    go back to your own town.”
    (1 Samuel 8:22)

How did their choices affect Israel? They missed out on God’s
blessings and experienced the negative impact of rejecting
God, and choosing instead to fulfill their own selfish desires.
The root of their rejection was selfishness, wasn’t it?

ACTION:
There is a valuable lesson for us to learn from their actions, wouldn’t
you agree? We should listen to God’s Word and follow His way in order
to receive His blessings. We should consider carefully our choices and
ask if they lead us closer to, or further away, from God.

Whenever we reject an individual,
we need to examine our reasons by asking ourselves,
    “Am I rejecting them because I am jealous of them?”
    “Am I rejecting them because they offended me in some way?”
    “Am I rejecting them because I don’t approve of their lifestyle?”
    “Am I rejecting them because of the way they treated someone else?”
    “Am I rejecting them because I think that I am better than them?”
    “Am I rejecting them because I don’t like their personality?”

These are just a few questions, we should consider, and I’m sure
we could add many more. But after we’ve asked ourselves these
questions, we should ask ourselves a very important question:
    “Would Jesus reject this person, and if He did, would He
      use any of the reasons I have chosen for rejecting them?”

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, thank You for not rejecting me, and for
choosing instead to love and forgive me, and for giving me
the same opportunity as others for receiving Your salvation.
Help me to search my heart, soul, and mind to determine why
I would choose to reject someone. Convict me of my ungodly
action of rejecting them, and show me what I can do to enhance
my relationship with them. Remind me that I am not any better
than anyone else. Teach me how to show love (like Jesus did) of
the other person as a way of overcoming my selfishness which has
caused me to reject someone You created. Help me to find ways to
encourage and lift their spirits, instead of allowing my selfishness
to cause them to feel unwanted in any way.”

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