Daniel Grant, in his article: A Problem All Artists Face: Dealing with Rejection, states: “Nothing irks artists more than criticism and rejection. Probably every artist has experienced rejection of some quantity…” Grant points out Vincent Van Gogh sold only one painting during his lifetime.

You may or may not be an artist… but have you ever worked on an opportunity you were excited about—only to have your prospect tell you “no?” Or pursued a new customer you were looking forward to working with—only to see the pursuit amount to nothing?

Rejection stinks. It can breed feelings of disappointment, discouragement, and even despair. Coupled with those negative emotions are the urge to quit, crawl in a hole, devour a half-gallon of chocolate mint chip ice cream… or move on to another profession.

Rejection stinks. It can turn a little tributary of self-doubt into a gushing river of discouragement. You begin questioning your gifts, your calling, and (I hope not) your value. You fight thoughts like: “What I have to offer isn’t important. If it was, they would have said yes.” Rejection can be a dream-killer… but here’s the good news… it also can be leveraged. If you’ve been rejected, here’s some thoughts to consider:

Anything worth pursuing will have ups and downs

So don’t quit. As an inventor, Thomas Edison made 1,000 unsuccessful attempts at inventing the light bulb. When a reporter asked, “How did it feel to fail 1,000 times?” Edison replied, “I didn’t fail 1,000 times. The light bulb was an invention with 1,000 steps. The work God has given you to do is important. It matters. Don’t allow rejection to diminish its value, or to diminish your value. If you’re about to give up, ask trusted friends to talk you down from the ledge.

Try to learn from rejection

Allow it to shine a light on your work, your approach, and/or your marketing strategy. What could you have done better? Differently? Use rejection as fuel to improve your product, your pitch, or yourself. Rejection stinks… but it’s not the end of your story.

Remember God is your source

If you belong to Jesus, you have inexhaustible resources at your disposable. Ultimately, God is your provider. When the stench of rejection threatens to overwhelm you, guard your thoughts and watch your speech. Tell yourself “God is my source—not the prospect who turned me down.” Remember the words of Solomon… the wisest man (besides Jesus) to ever walk the earth: “Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain” (Psalm 127:1).

Rejection stinks. It stings. But it doesn’t have to ruin your life.