A mentor pastor once told me to be wise in giving my time to people. He said negative people will take 100% of my time if I let them. Instead, he said to listen to any legitimacy in their complaints and criticism but then spend most of my time with the people who want to get things done and be committed to Kingdom work.
Whether blatant and severe or veiled and annoying, rejection can be challenging. Maybe it was being told no at a job interview. Perhaps you thought you had a good idea, but your elders disagreed. You may have thought you had prepared a great sermon or lesson, only to receive a criticizing email later that week. Perhaps a church member posts a passive-aggressive article that challenges what you taught recently. Maybe a small group of people stand in a church meeting to say that you “missed the boat on leadership” because they rejected the idea of performing background checks on volunteers who work with children. I’ve experienced all of these scenarios.
The examples could go on, but have you ever given up when you faced rejection? Have you ever lost passion for the Lord and for serving Him?
I’ve written my last couple of articles about Barnabas (here and here). I’m continuing that today because Paul and Barnabas exemplified what to do when you are criticized suddenly and severely, just as your ministry is gaining momentum.
Acts 13:49 says, “And the word of the Lord was spreading throughout the whole region.” Paul and Barnabas saw lives transformed as the gospel spread. And then, the rug was pulled. Verse 50 says, “But the Jews incited the devout women of high standing and the leading men of the city, stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district.”
Wow! There’s a big difference between those two verses. All of a sudden, Paul and Barnabas are forced out of the place where their work had been so effective. They’re facing rejection.
What do you think they did? What would you do?
Verse 51–52 says, “But they shook off the dust from their feet against them and went to Iconium. And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.”
Symbolically, shaking the dust from their feet meant they were breaking off further communication. In other words, they would not be burdened with this rejection but would move on and continue to focus on where they could be effective.
If you pastor a church, you can’t just break communication and move on; you can choose, however, where and to whom to give your time.
Two other examples:
When Jesus sent out 72 followers to go ahead of Him in ministry, He told them to wipe the dust off their feet in a town where they were not received (Luke 10:10-11).
‘Worth your perseverance’
Nehemiah does not use the language of shaking dust from feet, but the concept is the same. He faced opposition when he was leading the effort to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem. His opponents called him out for a meeting and offered threats, but Nehemiah would not be deterred from his important work. “For they all wanted to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will drop from the work, and it will not be done.” But now, O God, strengthen my hands.” (Nehemiah 6:9, ESV)
The reality is that it is so much easier to quit than to persevere. But God’s Kingdom and glory are worth your perseverance.
The voices of rejection and criticism can be loud. Pray for God to strengthen your hands as you shake the dust off your feet, push through the opposition and rejection, and stay faithful to what you know God called you.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Ryan Strother, executive director of the State Convention of Baptists in Indiana, and originally published by the Indiana Baptist.
