Have you ever been rejected? It’s not a good feeling when someone declares that their friendship with you is over, when they ‘unfriend’ you, drop you like a hot potato, or just disappear for no obvious reason. Friends familiar with social media tell me that this is a continuous phenomenon online.When you are rejected, for whatever reason, the impact is significant. Kirsten Weir with the American Psychological Association writes “Being on the receiving end of a social snub causes a cascade of emotional and cognitive consequences, researchers have found. Social rejection increases anger, anxiety, depression, jealousy, and sadness. It reduces performance on difficult intellectual tasks, and can also contribute to aggression and poor impulse control…. Physically, too, rejection takes a toll. People who routinely feel excluded have poorer sleep quality, and their immune systems don’t function as well as those of people with strong social connections.”How did the Lord Jesus deal with rejection? In John 6, many supposed disciples turned their backs on Him when they couldn’t handle His teaching. Up to that point, they felt so good following Him because He kept their tummies happy.Throughout the Gospel narratives, I notice two anchors that kept Jesus going, focusing on His purpose, and fulfilling His mission even when people walked away: 1. His unbroken relationship and communication with His Father in heaven. And 2. His inner circle of three friends on whom He leaned heavily on (even though at one point they would abandon Him).Before you get dropped the next time, you might want to have your relationship and communication with God secure, and trust in a small circle of friends for support, honesty, counsel, and accountability. Then, you’ll keep going as well. Remember: rejection is inevitable, resilience is optional 😊–Jeba Moses