Rejection.
Dear Asher,
Rejection is hard.
It’s something I’ve dealt with my whole life, especially self-rejection and not accepting myself the way I am or the way God made me. Rejection from others is even harder.
In today’s letter, I want to talk to you about rejection from others. We’ll leave the self-rejection for another day.
I have a hard truth for you, Buddy.
You will be rejected in your life.
You will do your best, and people will discard you like waste.
You will give your heart to others, and they will stomp on it.
You will be rejected.
Sometimes, it will be because of something you did or a wrong you committed against someone else, but most of the time, it will be because people are so used to canceling anyone at the drop of a hat.
Delete.
Block.
Unfollow.
Cancel.
Ghost.
It’s the cultural norm we breathe.
They will reject you, and Asher, rejection is painful. If you don’t have an explanation for why people leave your life, it’s even worse. In my experience, most won’t explain. They just leave, and that leaves you saying, “Why?”
In those moments of rejection, Asher, the comfort I find is this:
Our Savior and Friend was rejected too . . . a lot.
Get your Bible, Buddy, and read John 6:53–56.
This is one of the clearest examples of people rejecting Jesus. After feeding the 5,000, Jesus gave a difficult teaching about being the “Bread of Life” and the need to partake in Him. He symbolized this with the phrase eating His flesh and drinking His blood. This teaching challenged what people were comfortable with.
And “from this time many of His disciples turned back and no longer followed Him.”- (John 6:66)
Because of His teaching, many of His disciples rejected Him and no longer followed.
Here are more moments when Jesus was rejected:
Matthew 19:16–22 – Rejected by the rich young ruler.
Luke 4:16–30 – Rejected by His own hometown.
Matthew 23:23 – One of many times the religious leaders distanced themselves from Him.
Luke 22:54–62 – Peter, His disciple and friend, rejected Him three times in one night.
John 13:21–30 – Judas, another disciple, betrayed Him.
John 19:25–27 – The rest of the disciples fled when Jesus went to the cross.
Matthew 27:24 – Pilate distanced himself from Jesus, even though he knew He was innocent.
In all of these examples—and more—people left Jesus. People rejected Him. The prophet Isaiah foretold that He would be rejected. Isaiah 53:3 says, “He was despised and rejected— a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care.”
Why did they leave? We see a few reasons in Scripture.
Hard Teachings – Jesus spoke truth that made people uncomfortable.
The Cost of Following Him – Many weren’t willing to give up what they loved.
Challenges to Authority – His truth exposed corruption.
Fear and Self-Preservation – People didn’t want to suffer alongside Him.
Misplaced Expectations – Some wanted a different kind of Savior.
But Asher, Jesus never softened the truth to keep people around. He stood for the Kingdom of God even when it cost Him followers, acceptance, and, eventually, His life.
I know rejection is hard, Asher. It is painful. But someone once told me that rejection is God’s protection. I choose to believe that.
Paul said he wanted to “fellowship with Christ’s sufferings.” (Philippians 3:10) And in a way, rejection is a kind of fellowship. It’s you and Jesus suffering together, understanding each other, and you becoming more like Him.
That may not take the sting away, but maybe it will bring you comfort on the days when you feel lonely and alone.
I’m sorry for the times you will be rejected, Asher.
But please know that Papa Steve, your family, and I will never reject you.
And more importantly, neither your Abba nor your Best Friend will either.