Most of us don't handle rejection well. While the following story has a touch of humor, underneath is the bite of the searing pain of being rejected at a vulnerable time:

A soldier was serving overseas and far from home. He was heartbroken and upset when his girl wrote breaking off their engagement and asking for her photograph back.He went out and collected from his friends all the unwanted photographs of women that he could find, bundled them all together and sent them to her with a note which said: "I regret that I cannot remember which one is you ... please keep your photo and return the others."

How do you handle rejection? It is not easy ... especially at those times when we are most vulnerable.

It's not a pleasant thing, but we've all experienced it ... rejection by a loved one ... rejection by a boss ... or perhaps most difficult to handle is the rejection that comes as a result of living the Christian life by those we once thought were friends or family.

We want to be accepted. We want to belong. We want to feel like we're "part of the crowd." But, at times, our decision to live a godly life in a godless world will not be appreciated and we will be rejected — sometimes by those we love the most.

We want to be accepted.
Notice what the apostle Peter had to say about this: "Nonbelievers think it is strange that you do not do the many wild and wasteful things they do, so they insult you." (1 Peter 4:4 NCV)

The message throughout 1 Peter is that we should not be surprised at all by such rejection (1 Peter 4:12), but that it should never deter us from our commitment to live holy lives. (1 Peter 1:15)

Instead, we should find strength, love, and support in our Christian family by warmly opening our lives to each other. "Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay." (1 Peter 4:8-9 NLT)