Prophetic Rejection~A Faithful Journey

                                   PROPHETIC REJECTION~A Faithful Journey

Learning to Discern the Spirit Behind Rejection Without Making People Your Enemies
Mary Ann Wray

 

“Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. The one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and the one who receives a righteous person because he is a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.” Matthew 10: 40-42

Rejection is a very real experience when ministering prophetically in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. One of the greatest challenges is learning not to take rejection personally, especially when it comes from fellow Christians who fail to recognize, understand, or properly discern how God has gifted and called you.

Paul reminds us in Ephesians 6:12 that we do not wrestle against flesh and blood. This is something we must continually remember when facing rejection, misunderstanding, jealousy, competition, and even hostility within the Body of Christ.

James 3:14–16 tells us that bitter jealousy and selfish ambition do not come from above but are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. Therefore, we must exercise spiritual discernment rather than allowing our emotions to dictate our reactions.

One of the things God must deliver us from in prophetic ministry is the fear of man, while teaching us how to continue loving people.
Those who are sensitive by nature, as many who minister prophetically are, can be particularly vulnerable to the pain of rejection. We must learn to distinguish between the person and the spiritual influences or attitudes operating through them. People are not our enemies, even when their behavior is contrary to the Spirit of Christ.

Jesus Himself taught His disciples that receiving those He sends is connected to receiving Him (Matthew 10:40; John 13:20; Luke 10:16). He also spoke of receiving a prophet in the name of a prophet and receiving a prophet's reward (Matthew 10:41–42).
But notice something equally important: Jesus never instructed His disciples to force themselves upon people who refused to receive them.

In Luke 10:5–7, Jesus instructed His disciples to offer peace when entering a house. If they were received, their peace would remain. If not, their peace would return to them. They were then to move on rather than force their ministry upon unwilling recipients.

This is a powerful lesson in spiritual discernment. We must recognize when our ministry is welcomed by fellow believers and when it is not. Unfortunately, many believers do not believe in New Testament prophecy or they do but fail to discern prophets/ prophetesses in their midst due to familiarity and other reasons, but that’s another topic that requires careful examination for another time.

A prophet/ prophetess is called to speak to the Body of Christ primarily. (1 Corinthians 14: 1-5). That is their first and primary assignment. However, God will often send you to an unbeliever visa versa to minister prophetically with the Gospel and lead them to Christ. That too is another topic for another time.

We should not confuse every uncomfortable encounter with rejection, but neither should we continually pursue relationships or ministry opportunities where there is persistent resistance.

Facing The Pharisaical Spirit of Self-Righteousness
One of the most challenging attitudes those who minister prophetically may encounter—and, quite frankly, will encounter—among Christians is a Pharisaical spirit of self-righteousness.

At its core, it is religious pride, often cleverly disguised. At one extreme, it may appear as insincere compliments and superficial flattery; at the other, as deliberate snubbing, dismissiveness, or outright rejection.

It is that "Well, I don't do THAT!" or "I'm better than that!" or even "I already know that!" attitude. It reveals a tendency to measure one's own righteousness, spiritual maturity, or biblical knowledge against the perceived faults, weaknesses, shortcomings, or supposed lack of understanding in others.

Rather than humbly examining themselves in the light of God's Word, such individuals elevate themselves by comparing their conduct, spiritual experiences, or knowledge of Scripture with someone else's.

The tragedy of self-righteousness is that it can blind a person to the very pride they are so quick to recognize and condemn in others.

Paul warned against this very thing in 2 Corinthians 10:12, stating that those who measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves are without understanding.

Jesus also exposed this attitude in the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector in Luke 18:9–14. The Pharisee thanked God that he was not like other men, while the tax collector humbly cried out for mercy. Jesus made it clear which man went home justified!

Those who minister prophetically must learn to recognize and confront self-righteousness pride without becoming self-righteous themselves! We must remain humble, meek, and teachable, remembering that we, too, are recipients of God's mercy and grace.

However, humility does not mean continually attempting to minister to or even with someone who is determined to criticize, despise, ridicule, or even reject what is being shared. Jesus warned in Matthew 7:6 against casting our pearls before swine. This calls for discernment concerning when, where, and with whom we share what is precious.

There is a difference between ministering with meekness and continually subjecting yourself to contempt and rejection.

We must never allow another person's religious pride to provoke pride in us either. Nor should we mistake every disagreement or correction for a Pharisaical attitude.

A truly prophetic heart must be courageous enough to confront religious hypocrisy, humble enough to receive correction, and wise enough to know when to walk away.

Over the years, I have learned through personal experience that not everyone will recognize, understand, or receive the gift God has placed within you. And you cannot make them!

That does not give us permission to become offended, bitter, resentful, or retaliatory. Neither does it obligate us to continually pursue fellowship or ministry with those who refuse to receive us.

Romans 12:18 reminds us:
"If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all."
Sometimes living peaceably means loving people from a distance, forgiving them, praying for them, and continuing on with what God has called us to do.

The goal is not to be accepted by everyone. The goal is to remain faithful to Christ, free from the fear of man, free from bitterness, and full of the love and wisdom of the Holy Spirit.

And one final thought: We must also remain humble and teachable, remembering that not every disagreement is rejection, and every prophetic word must remain subject to biblical testing (1 Thessalonians 5:20–21).

Rejection may test your heart, but it does not have to poison it.
Scripture references: Matthew 10:40–42; Mark 9:37; Luke 10:5–7, 10:16; John 13:20; Romans 12:18; Ephesians 6:12; James 3:14–16; 1 Thessalonians 5:20–21.