The Fear of Rejection

Psalm 66:16–20 NIV

Come and hear, all you who fear God; let me tell you what he has done for me. I cried out to him with my mouth; his praise was on my tongue. If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened; but God has surely listened and has heard my prayer. Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!

INTRODUCTION

THERE IS A STORY OF ANSWERED PRAYER THAT COMES TO US FROM THE CONSERVATIVE JEWISH COMMUNITY THAT

HAS SURVIVED OVER THE AGES AND TEACHES US ABOUT HOW PRAYER CAN HELP US ADDRESS OUR FEARS.....

THE STORY IS TOLD OF A GOOD JEWISH MAN....LET US CALL HIM MORDECAI — WHO PRAYED ONE DAY, “O

GOD, LET ME KNOW YOUR NAME, EVEN AS ANGELS DO.” THE LORD HEARD HIS PRAYER AND GRANTED IT,

ALLOWING MORDECAI TO KNOW HIS TRUE NAME. WHEREUPON MORDECAI CREPT UNDER THE BED AND

YELPED IN SHEER ANIMAL TERROR, SAYING, “O GOD, LET ME FORGET YOUR TRUE NAME.” AND THE LORD

GOD HEARD THAT PRAYER AND GRANTED IT ALSO.

THIS STORY REMINDS US TO BE PREPARED FOR THE LORD OUR GOD TO ANSWER OUR PRAYERS WHEN WE PRAY

THEM.......AND THAT GOD HAS THE ABILITY, WISDOM AND WILL TO ANSWER US WITH CHALLENGES THAT WILL

SOMETIMES STRETCH US, AND SOMETIMES PUSH US TO FACE AND ADDRESS OUR FEARS......

WHERE IS THERE FEAR STILL INSIDE YOU AS YOU PAUSE TO WORSHIP GOD TODAY, BELOVED?

THERE IS ONE THEOLOGIAN WHO SAYS:

There isn’t enough room in our hearts for both fear and faith, so each day we must decide which one gets to stay.

AND PERHAPS THIS WHY JOURNEYING DAILY WITH A PSALM OR TWO CAN BE SO REFRESHING, SO HELPFUL AND

SUCH A BLESSING......FOR THE PSALMIST SINGS HERE WITH A MIGHTY MEASURE OF THANKSGIVING UNTO GOD IN

Psalm 66:16–18 NIV

Come and hear, all you who fear God; let me tell you what he has done for me. I cried out to him with my mouth; his praise was on my tongue. If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened;

WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IN OUR LIVES IF WE TREATED FAITH AS THOUGH FAITH ITSELF ISN’T JUST A FEELING TO FILL

OUR HEARTS WITH EMOTION OR COMFORT ALONE? WHAT IF FAITH IS ALSO A CHOICE......A CHOICE TO TRUST GOD

EVEN WHEN UNCERTAINTY IS SWIRLING ALL AROUND US, EVEN WHEN UNCERTAINTY IS PERSISTENTLY WEARING ON

US, KNOCKING ON OUR DOOR, RATTLING OUR HEARTS OR EVEN KEEPING US MORE ANXIOUS THAN GOD MEANS

FOR US TO BE......

PRAYING TO OVERCOME REJECTION

GETTING UP EACH MORNING TO LIVE ANOTHER DAY IN THIS WORLD BRINGS WITH CHALLENGES AND MORE THAN A

PASSING ACQUAINTANCE WITH THE CONSTANCY OF CHANGE.......ONE OF THOSE CHALLENGES IS SPOKEN OF AND

SPOKEN TO IN PSALM 66........CONSTANCE HALL, WRITING FOR THE CATHOLIC EXCHANGE

MAGAZINE NOTED:

All of us, in one way or another, struggle with the fear of rejection. For some, it is a constant way of life,

especially for those who are still fighting against the wounds of abuse, rejection, and abandonment from

childhood. Fear of rejection can become overwhelming to the point that we cannot embrace and accept it;

instead, we succumb to the perceptions, desires, and beliefs of other people, flee, or engage in self-loathing.

For others, this fear of rejection manifests in being a workaholic or in trying to be successful by worldly

standards. We want to be noticed and esteemed by others. It may be that we are trying to prove a parent

wrong, an old relationship, friends, co-workers, or any other person in our lives whose shadow we choose to

live under. Perhaps we are trying to run from past sins against those people or their sins against us. We

wrongly allow another person—in some cases, even those who have long been dead—to rule our lives.

Deep down, we are all battling a paralyzing fear of rejection.

DID YOU KNOW, BELOVEDS, Albert Einstein was expelled from school? Maybe you've heard that Walt Disney was

fired from the Kansas Star. They said Walt Disney lacked imagination. Maybe you've heard that Steve Jobs was fired

from his own company. Maybe you've heard that Oprah was fired once because she showed too much emotion. But

TIME HAS TAUGHT US her emotion has served her pretty well since then, AMEN?

-REJECTION CAN BE A WEDGE THAT STOPS US FROM BECOMING ALL GOD WANTS US TO BECOME

-REJECTION CAN SLOW OUR ROLES SO THAT OUR INSPIRATION IS SAPPED, OUR MOTIVATION IS DAMPENED AND

OUR POWER IS WEAKENED

IT’S SOMETHING THAT IS HAPPENS OFTEN TIMES, EVEN IF WE DON’T INVITE IT.......

AND HERE IS THE ENCOURAGEMENT OFFERED BY PSALM 66:19-20

Psalm 66:19–20 NIV

but God has surely listened and has heard my prayer. Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!

GOD’S ANSWER TO WORLDLY REJECTION

IT WAS THE OUTSTANDING POET AND HYMN WRITER ANNIE JOHNSON FLINT WHO GAVE VOICE TO THE KIND OF

CONFIDENCE WE AS CHRISTIANS CAN HAVE IN A GOD WHOSE LOVE KNOWS NO BOUNDS, WHOSE LOVE SPEAKS TO

OUR FEARS WHENEVER THEY ARISE IN US AND WE ALLOW OUR GOD TO SPEAK TO THEM.... ONE OF HER MOST

COMFORTING POEMS SAYS THIS:

God hath not promised skies always blue,

Flower–strewn pathways all our lives through;

God hath not promised sun without rain,

Joy without sorrow, peace without pain.

God hath not promised we shall not know

Toil and temptation, trouble and woe;

He hath not told us we shall not bear

Many a burden, many a care.

God hath not promised smooth roads and wide,

Swift, easy travel, needing no guide;

Never a mountain, rocky and steep,

Never a river, turbid and deep.

But God hath promised strength for the day,

Rest for the laborer, light for the way,

Grace for the trials, help from above,

Unfailing sympathy, undying love.           –Annie Johnson Flint

CONCLUSION

IT IS THIS UNDYING LOVE THAT WE COUNT ON WHEN TIMES ARE TOUGHEST.........REMEMBERING THE GRACE FOR

THE TRIALS WE FACE, AND THE PROMISED REST JESUS GIVES THOSE WHO LABOR FOR THE KINGDOM

THE PSALMIST NAMED THIS GRACE WITH THANKSGIVING IN PSALM 66:19-20

Psalm 66:19–20 NIV

but God has surely listened and has heard my prayer. Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!

GOD LISTENS WHEN YOU PRAY.....HERE THE PSALMIST IS SPEAKING IN THE PAST TENSE OF PRAYERS ANSWERED

AND GRACE EXTENDED.......GOD AFFIRMS YOU IN YOUR PRAISE......AS YOU PRAISE GOD YOU FEEL BETTER, YOUR

PRAISES ARE RECEIVED AND OUR CREATOR GOD IS HONORED.....

AS THOSE PRAISES RISE UP TOWARDS THE HEAVENS, BELOVEDS, WE CAN CELEBRATE WITH THE PSALMIST HOW

OUR GOD IS NOT A GOD OF REJECTION.....HOW OUR GOD PREPARES THE BALM FOR EVEN OUR DEEPEST PAINS,

HOW OUR GOD SHOWERS DOWN LOVE AND GRACE UPON US.......

GOD WILL NOT BE SO CRUEL AS TO REJECT OUR PRAYERS.....JUST AS THE PSALMIST KNEW THE JOY WORTHY OF

THIS PRAISE.....SO TOO, WE CAN KNOW THIS JOY.....SO TOO, WE CAN PURSUE THE KIND OF PERFECT LOVE THAT

JOHN WROTE ABOUT IN THE NEW TESTAMENT, 1 John 4:18

1 John 4:18 NRSV

There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love.