He was despised and rejected—a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care.
(Isa. 53:3 NLT)

You know, like Christ we also experience rejection. Whether it’s to a spouse, a community, an environment or a job, you and I are a gift to a person, a people, a place or a project. And sometimes the way that God gets us to that person, people, place or project is through rejection. Rejection is a means that God uses to help us fulfill our destiny. Jesus made it to the cross through rejection. Peter denied Him, Judas betrayed him, the scribes despised him and His people chose Barnabas and rejected Him to end up on the cross. Rejection is a way that we get to carry our crosses.

While being rejected is very hurtful and devastating, it’s in our best interest to know that God allows us to go through it so that we can fulfill our destiny. And when this happens our accomplishments will outweigh the pain we experienced through the rejection.

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. (Rom. 8:18 NIV)

Sometimes in the Bible, the way a person is dressed signifies the person’s position. Not only is the way a person dressed significant, but the person who dresses them is significant too. Elijah dressed Elisha with his mantle indicating that Elisha will be his successor and be the next prophet.
…anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from the town of Abel-meholah to replace you as my prophet….  So Elisha went and found Elisha son of Shaphat plowing a field…. Elijah went over to him and threw his cloak across his shoulders and then walked away…. Then he went with Elijah as his assistant.
(1 Kings 19:16, 19, 21)
Elisha eventually went from being Elijah’s assistant or servant to being the prophet.
As they were walking along and talking, suddenly a chariot of fire appeared, drawn by horses of fire. It drove between the two men, separating them, and Elijah was carried by a whirlwind into heaven. Elisha saw it and cried out, “My father! My father! I see the chariots and charioteers of Israel!” And as they disappeared from sight, Elisha tore his clothes in distress.” Elisha picked up Elijah’s cloak, which had fallen when he was taken up. Then Elisha returned to the bank of the Jordan River.
(2 Kings 2:11-13 NLT)
Everything went well with Elisha. His new “dress” represented his calling; and so was the person who dressed him, Elijah the prophet. Unfortunately, it does not work as simply as that for some of us. Some of us dress wrong; and worse still, allow the wrong people to dress or “a-dress” us. In our everyday language when someone addresses us it means that that person is saying something to us. Similarly, when someone is given a dress down, it means that person has been rebuked or reprimanded.

In essence, when someone is a-dressed, something has been said to that person. In some cases what is said to us is not in line with what God said about us. When this is the case we have been wrongly dressed—so to speak. In order to ensure that we’re probably dressed or properly know who we are, our divine dress, mantle, cloak or purpose, we need to be separated from people who address us the wrong way. We need to be removed from individuals or environments that wrongly classify us. One of the ways that God does that for us is through rejection.

That was what Joseph had to go through to end up dressed properly to fulfill his destiny.
His father dressed him wrong.
Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age. Also he made him a tunic of many colors.
(Gen. 37:3 NKJV)
God does not want you to be a coat of many colors—a representation of different things that people say about you. God wants you to be a coat of one color—one that shows your true color—He wants you to show your true color; who you really are and who He purposed you to be. In order for God to ensure that Joseph ended up as who he purposed him to be, God used Joseph’s brothers to send him to Egypt. Notice the first thing they did to Joseph when they started their attack against him:
So it came to pass, when Joseph had come to his brothers, that they stripped Joseph of his tunic, the tunic of many colors that was on him.
(Gen. 37:23 NKJV)
Joseph ends up in Egypt and is placed in charge of Potiphar’s house. I suspect Joseph was satisfied with this. But again, that’s not what God called him to do; hence the conflict with Potiphar’s wife—which I believe was designed to get him out of Potiphar’s house and eventually into the palace. Notice what happened during his conflict with Potiphar’s wife:
She came and grabbed him by his cloak, demanding, “Come on, sleep with me!” Joseph tore himself away, but he left his cloak in her hand as he ran from the house.
(Gen. 39:12)
Did you notice that Joseph left his cloak in her hand? That, I believe, signifies Joseph’s maturity from being stripped of who he was by his brothers when they ripped his robe from him, to being someone who voluntarily left his garment in Potiphar’s wife’s hands indicating that that was not who he was anyway. Joseph ended up in prison where he met the butler who eventually referred him to Pharaoh. Joseph ended up being the Governor of Egypt. Notice the activity that signified this:
So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt.” Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his finger and put it on Joseph’s finger. He dressed him in robes of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck. (Gen. 41:41-42 NIV)
Joseph was not only dressed well, He was a-dressed by the right person. Pharaoh the ruler of Egypt gave him the position that God called Joseph to. Joseph’s father dressed Joseph with one coat with many colors. Pharaoh dressed Joseph with many coats (robes) but one color. Linen usually comes in one color.

Regardless of what Joseph did, he was himself; he showed his true color. He was fulfilling his purpose. In prison and in Potiphar’s house, Joseph expressed his gift. Like Joseph, you are a gift to someone. If necessary, God will use rejection to strip you of who you aren’t to strap you with who you are.

O.J Toks
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