Rejected, Relieved, and Kind of Grateful
(Is That Allowed?)
Let’s talk about rejection.
The email that never came.
The conversation that ended with a handshake and a heartbreak.
The church vote.
The job offer that turned into radio silence.
The person who “wished you well” while quietly walking away.
Now let’s talk about something even stranger:
What do you do when you feel hurt by that rejection…but also kind of relieved?
And dare we say it—a little excited for what it means next?
When Rejection Feels Both Personal and Providential
It’s a strange thing when your heart and your spirit feel like they’re on separate group chats.
Your heart is still stung.
But your spirit is like: “Hey, I think this might actually be good.”
You don’t want to admit that.
Because then come the feelings of guilt:
Shouldn’t I be more devastated?
Was I emotionally detached?
Am I being prideful or self-righteous for feeling free right now?
The truth is: rejection can hurt you and help you at the same time.
That’s not being fake.
That’s being spiritually awake.
A Word from The Jacked Up Life
“God is in the foundation-replacement business.
He specializes in jacking up lives that look condemned by others’ standards.”
Sometimes rejection is how God lifts us off of a cracked foundation we didn’t even know was failing.
The meeting, the job, the relationship, the ministry—on the outside it looked stable, even fruitful.
But underneath, it was holding you hostage.
So when the rejection comes, it feels like someone else is tearing it down.
But maybe it’s God… jacking it up.
What Do You Do With the Guilt?
It’s normal to feel weird about feeling peace.
Especially if others are still hurting—or if you’ve been cast as the “wrong one” or the “difficult one” or “the wrong fit.”
Here’s your permission slip:
You’re allowed to grieve and breathe at the same time.
It doesn’t mean you’re cold.
It means you’re healing.
And that excitement you feel? That’s not selfishness. That’s hope trying to peek through the rubble.
And What About the Pride?
Now let’s flip the mirror.
Just because you may have the facts on your side doesn’t mean you’re always the “righteous party.”
Rejection can be clarifying.
But clarity doesn’t equal superiority.
Be careful not to turn relief into a resume.
You may have been right about the situation, but that doesn’t make you better than the people who stayed in it.
Keep your posture low. Keep your heart soft.
You don’t have to defend your side when God’s already securing your steps.
You’re Not the First to Be Rejected
Jesus was rejected, too.
By people He healed.
By hometown friends.
By the ones who were supposed to lead the way.
His rejection didn’t invalidate His identity.
It fulfilled His purpose.
The same might be true for you.
If you’re walking through a recent rejection, know this:
You’re not wrong for feeling conflicted.
You’re not arrogant for feeling hope.
You’re not faithless for feeling pain.
And you’re not alone.
You may be jacked up by rejection right now.
But you’re not forsaken.
You’re being lifted—maybe for the first time in a long time.
P.S. This is exactly the kind of stuff I wrote The Jacked Up Life for.
It’s out May 1st and it’s for anyone who’s been leveled by shame, failure, or just the brutal honesty of a closed door.
You’re not broken beyond repair.
You’re just being rebuilt.
—Michael