Hey friends! Today I’m sharing a social media post that I submitted through COMPEL writing and it won! You can see it on their social media pages this week.
This is my post:
You see the heading. It’s the email you’ve been anticipating. As you rush to open it, you see the first few words and your heart sinks.
“We decided not to go with your work this time.”
Maybe you applied for that guest post position or submitted that book proposal, and it didn’t go as you planned. Friend, if I kept track of every rejection letter I’ve received, I’d have a well-organized folder. It’s hard to hear a “no” when we pursue our God-given calling.
Rejection can cause resistance or lead to resilience. We can let discouragement stunt our ministry or we can allow this “no” to encourage our growth.
Many times, we don’t know why our writing was denied. It’s not an indicator that we’re ineffective at our craft. Maybe your writing style didn’t quite match what the publishers had in mind. Maybe that platform wouldn’t have been the best audience for your message. Or maybe now isn’t the right time to share that specific story.
Opportunities don’t impact your identity. Friend, you are a beloved child of God. You were created in His image to do good works. He sees the effort you put in to pursue your calling and He will use it to advance His kingdom. When we remain faithful to who we are and whose we are, we forbid rejection from having the final say.
If you’re feeling disappointed by rejection, ask God to reshape your perspective and remind you of your calling. Drop a 💗in the comments below if you needed this message today!
As I was praying and anticipating this post going live, some thoughts came to mind:
To give some context, I spent most of my life overworking myself to avoid rejection. I strived to earn top grades and land my ideal career. If something was too risky, I avoided it altogether. When it came to starting a writing ministry, it felt like I had a seemingly unlimited number of routes to go. I didn’t know what my strengths were just yet. I submitted post after post, only to end up with a “not right now” in response. It was discouraging, but God always found another use for those works.
My first rejection, for example, was a 500-word devotion on posturing ourselves to wait well. Its message? Impactful. But where did that teaching fit better? As a 10-minute talk for a women’s breakfast, where I could go much more in-depth with my Bible teaching.
Maybe you didn’t get the job. That role didn’t work out as you had planned. That relationship failed. Or maybe, like me, you put forth your best effort only for it to be deemed “not good enough.”
Let me tell you something: it’s nothing personal. Maybe it was never about you being “enough,” as it was about that thing being enough for you and your calling. Would that thing really bring out your gifts? Or is your main motive to use that opportunity to elevate your name or status? Maybe you truly wanted to glorify God with that opportunity, but it didn’t work out because God knew the details you didn’t. Maybe it wasn’t the best for you and God is relieving you of the stress that would have come with that position.
You’ll never be good enough for the wrong opportunities.
I know I’m not meant for certain writing positions or ministries because they don’t bring out my strengths. It took a while for me to truly know my focus area. Now, I’m glad I never got those acceptance letters I once dreamed of receiving. I’m grateful I didn’t get what I thought I wanted because it wasn’t what’s best for me.
What if rejection wasn’t a bad thing? What if the limits or a “no” are actually what keep you thriving in the best parts of your gifts?
Consider the Joy 
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