I was in 2nd grade at recess playing on the playground with all my friends. For some reason one of my friends convinced me to let her tell the boy I liked that I had a crush on him. So we both walked up to him and she announced it. His response? He laughed in my face. My response? I cried.
As silly as it is to think back about it now, my 8 year-old-world was rocked.
Rejection hurts.
Let’s face it, rejection is inevitable. At some point or another we all experience it in various forms and to different degrees. If you are like me, you take rejection hard. Sometimes a little too hard. It sits heavy on the heart and mind and we dwell on the encounter, replaying the scene over and over again and creating several “what if” scenarios.
As a business owner, you are constantly putting yourself and your business out there. No matter the industry, you are vulnerable to the fact that someone may not want to work for you or do business with you. Now, some of these moments may not have a great impact on you, but some will cause the “lump in your throat, head in hands” feeling of rejection that hits you right in the gut.
So, how do you respond?
- Do you act defeated?
- Do you have self-pity?
- Do you become angry?
- Do you become prideful?
We all have our go-to response from the feeling of rejection. I know I have responded to rejection by turning to self-pity and defeat. But, this is not how we are called to respond. God does not promise us this life will be easy, in fact he promises is that it’s going to be difficult.
So what should our response be?
“So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.” (1 Peter 1:6-7)
Let your response to rejection be one that allows the Lord to refine you and your business. Don’t allow the fear of rejection or rejection itself hinder you or your business. As business owners, you are an example and leader to your team. Don’t let rejection be defeating, but instead turn it into an opportunity to teach and to learn. Shake the dust off your feet and keep going with joy. It’s not an easy task, but when we choose a response of the spirit over our flesh, God is glorified.
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