How do we fear people? We fear they will reject us.
In When People Are Big and God Is Small, Ed Welch says, “Closely related to the fear that people will expose us is perhaps the most common reason we are controlled by other people: they can reject, ridicule, or despise us (rejection-fear). They don’t invite us to the party. They ignore us. They don’t like us. They aren’t pleased with us. So, they withhold the acceptance, love, or significance we want from them. As a result, we feel worthless.”
People do reject us.
Rejection hurts.
How do you fear people will reject you, and how do you manifest and deal with this fear?
We fear rejection for who we are: personality, education, job title, socioeconomic position, gender, race, experiences, relationships. You change your personality because you think people will like you better. You seek after a certain degree or job title so that you can be accepted. You fear discrimination because of your race or gender. You fear being rejected by certain people because of other friends you have chosen, or because of our vaccination status or using (or not using) our QR codes.
Fear of Rejection can also come about through perfectionism, or in what clothes we wear (or don't wear), and we see this exhibited in peer pressure. Fear of Rejection can also seep into our evangelism and into our discipleship relationships among fellow Christians.
But how does fearing rejection and desiring approval harm us? Is there any harm?
Pride and Fear of Rejection.
Fear of rejection found in Scripture.
The Gospel: The One who was rejected by man, and by God the Father, that we might be accepted and never taste ultimate rejection. We understand that because of this rejection that Jesus endured for us, any rejection we are called to face in this life will be temporary; just as the approval we so desperately seek to attain is fleeting, so any rejection we do experience will fade and be forgotten quickly.
Response: How does the Gospel intersect our fear of rejection?
What does this look like:
1) At Home
2) At Work
3) In our church
