Made New: Rewriting the Story of Rejection Through God's TruthChikamu

Day 4: Acceptance

For most of my life, I chased acceptance like it was a finish line, believing that if I achieved enough, performed well enough, or earned enough praise, I’d finally feel whole.

Feeling accepted has always been a trigger for me, rooted deeply in the pain of past rejection. Throughout my teenage and adult years, I struggled to feel truly seen and valued beyond what I could offer or accomplish, whether it was the overwhelming pressures of being the oldest sibling or the hunger for achievement on the football field. For most of my life, that value was measured by my football career. Almost every conversation I had revolved around my accolades or what I had achieved on the field.

That constant recognition gave me a high, a sense of instant gratification that fueled my desire to keep pushing, to be better, to be noticed. But when my football career came to an end, after being cut by the Cleveland Browns, I felt like a complete failure. My identity had been so tightly wrapped in being an athlete that I didn’t know who I was without it. I didn’t just lose a job; I lost a sense of who I was. And with that, came a deep feeling of rejection that paralyzed my growth and isolated me from the world. I didn’t feel accepted anymore. I started isolating myself from the world, unsure of how to show up as someone who wasn’t ‘the football player.'

But one thing I’ve learned is that sometimes God allows us to experience rejection because it’s His way of protecting us. What feels like a painful ‘no’ in the moment is often God’s loving ‘not yet’ or even ‘I have something better.’ Worldly rejection is often divine redirection.

I remember being in that season, feeling lost, confused, and unworthy, and my mentor told me something I’ll never forget: ‘Keep bringing your thoughts, your feelings, and your assignment back to God. There’s more meat on the bone.’ It was like watching a child throw away a chicken wing after just two bites, not realizing how much more there was to enjoy, to receive, to grow from.

In Romans 11:15, Paul discusses how, when the world rejects us, our heavenly acceptance will be “life from the dead.”

In moments of rejection, we’re tempted to see ourselves as unworthy or forgotten, but God often invites us to go deeper, to trust more, to surrender completely. The feeling of rejection usually stems from our desire to control the outcome. But when we fully submit to God, we discover that He hasn’t rejected us; He’s rerouting us toward something greater. I have learned to trust God with every season of my life, even in the seasons where He is using every experience for His will.

Reflection:

Today, take five quiet minutes to reflect on a past rejection and ask God what He was protecting or preparing you for. Write down one way you can trust Him more deeply in your current season.

Prayer:

Father, I thank you for today, I thank you for your everlasting love. Thank you for calling me by name. Thank you for reminding your children that you had a plan for us before we were even created. I thank you for creating your children in your image. Lord, today, I pray for strength in the difficult conversations that need to be had. I pray for power and that every barrier or chain weighing your children down will be broken down. I also pray that you will prune your children of every lie they have believed, whether told to them or believed by others. Father, I’m declaring freedom in the name of Jesus today. Father, I declare spiritual, mental, and emotional breakthroughs for your children today. Help us to receive your freedom, your mercy, and your grace with an open hand in an open heart, and in your name, I pray, Amen.