Rejected: but Not Rejected: Books for the Human Race

By Paul L. Staack

A famous saying tells us that there are two inevitable things in life: death and taxes. We need to add one more inevitable to this list. Everyone has to face and deal with rejection. If you are rejected by someone, that person is taking an action toward you. Rejected is a verb in this setting. However, rejected is also an adjective. It is a word that describes and defines. We must never allow our lives to be defined or described by rejection. Paul L. Staack has written this book to keep you out of the garbage can of a rejected life. It is inevitable! You will be rejected in life. However, as you apply the principles in this book, rejection will never define or describe your life. You can truly be Rejected: But Not Rejected.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Sep 13, 2017
• ISBN: 9781973600077

Paul L. Staack

Paul L. Staack started his adventure with God on his waterbed. He kneeled on that bed before Almighty God and gave his empty life to Christ. He came out of that bedroom with new thoughts and desires. He followed those thoughts and desires into a life of service. Paul has served in the Ministry of Helps at Speak the Word Church International since May of 1980. He has been in full time ministry as an assistant pastor since May of 1994. During a time of worship, Paul heard the call to write books with a passion and a vision to help the body of Christ to come into maturity. This book is a mirror reflecting Paul’s life of loyalty as a believer.

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Copyright © 2017 Paul L. Staack.

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ISBN: 978-1-9736-0008-4 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-0009-1 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-0007-7 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2017913524

WestBow Press rev. date: 9/11/2017

Scripture quotations marked MSG are taken from THE MESSAGE. Copyright 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

Scripture quotations marked TLB are taken from The Living Bible copyright 1971. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture is taken from GOD’S WORD®, © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations. Used by permission of Baker Publishing Group.

Scripture quotations marked NCV are taken from the New Century Version, Copyright 1987, 1988, 1991 by Word Publishing, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

The New Testament in Modern English by J.B Phillips copyright © 1960, 1972 J. B. Phillips. Administered by The Archbishops’ Council of the Church of England. Used by Permission.

Scriptures marked as (CEV) are taken from the Contemporary English Version Copyright 1995 by American Bible Society. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked GNT are taken from the Good News Translation — Second Edition. Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture taken from the Weymouth New Testament

Scripture taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Quotations marked THP are taken from Dr. Ben Campbell Johnson’s The Hart of Paul: Biblical Truth in Today’s Language, copyright 1976. Used by permission of A Great Love, Inc, P.O. Box. 1248, Toccoa, GA 30577. All rights reserved.

CONTENTS

Preface

        Books for the Human Race

Introduction

Chapter 1

        Rejected Defined

Chapter 2

        Menu, Clothes Rack, and Discarded Items: Garbage Candidates

Chapter 3

        People Who People Reject

Chapter 4

        Garbage Cancer: Cynicism

Chapter 5

        How Do We Stay out of the Garbage Can?

Chapter 6

Jesus Christ: The Most Rejected (Verb)—Never Rejected (Adjective)

I

dedicate this book to a man who has been a mentor and a friend for many years—Mr. Reggie Cammon. Reggie encouraged me when I started working on my first book. I know that we need to encourage ourselves as we are pursuing our dreams. However, I also believe that we need someone to believe in us as well. Reggie was the man who lifted my spirits in my early stages as an author. He saw in me what others didn’t see. So I dedicate this book to Reggie with my love and heartfelt appreciation.

PREFACE

Books for the Human Race

I AM HONORED and humbled by my assignment to write Books for the Human Race . Every member of the human race is unique, special, gifted, and destined for greatness. No one is here by mistake or accident. We each have a distinct role in the drama of life on earth. Every person—without exception—is preprogrammed with solutions for the problems we face on the human planet.

Rejected: But Not Rejected is one of a series of Books for the Human Race. My vision for this series of books is simple and clear: to plant seeds of greatness in the human race to empower people to live their lives based on the revelation of their intrinsic value and personal significance.

I believe that a majority of people on this planet look in the mirror and see junk rather than jewels; they see dirt rather than diamonds. I want to change that with the principles and truths in Books for the Human Race.

These books are not written to or for a particular race, gender, nationality, or sector of people. They are universal in their scope. They are applicable to all, without boundaries or limitations. In other words, these books are a suitable diet for every hungry soul on this planet. They deal with issues and topics that apply to everyone.

I trust that these books will never end up on a bargain table outside of a bookstore. I believe that the thoughts and words contained in these books will translate into seeds of greatness within you, releasing your destiny into the earth to increase the value of humankind.

INTRODUCTION

A FAMOUS SAYING informs us that there are two inevitable things we face in life—death and taxes. I would add one more inevitable to this list. We all have to face and deal with rejection.

For instance, when I was a child, it was quite proper for me to think and speak and act like a child; but when I became an adult, I stopped functioning like a child. (1 Corinthians 13:11 The Heart of Paul)

Some of us continue to function like children because we are conducting our lives based on words spoken to us in childhood that still dominate the landscape of our subconscious minds.

We have surrendered our sovereignty as human beings by transferring our power of self-determination to the opinions of unqualified and unauthorized assessors of our value.

God is saying that it is time to put away childish things. He wants us to lay the child within us to rest.

We all face rejection. How we respond to rejection is of the utmost importance. People have responded to rejection with resentment, retaliation, and revenge, resulting in dire ramifications.

When we respond to rejection in the wrong way, we become dysfunctional and unstable, resulting in unhealthy interpersonal relationships.

I don’t believe we are functioning to full capacity because of our response to rejection.

If I reject you, I am taking action toward you. The word reject is a verb in this context.

I was rejected in my childhood and youth. I was also bullied—a form of rejection that has become part of the décor of our culture’s kitchen. I know that bullying can be carried to extremes, and in such cases, extreme action needs to be taken to protect the wellbeing of our children.

However, I believe we are overreacting to bullying that is simply kids expressing their mean and selfish nature and tendencies to counteract their insecurities. We are breeding children who are easily offended and ultrasensitive. Those who are sensitive are easily upset. They are not being equipped to handle real-life situations.

My pastor was bullied and rejected in his childhood in the country of Trinidad. When he came home crying about his treatment, his mom asked him a question.

What is your name?

He responded with, Oliver Randy Morrison.

She said to him, Don’t ever forget it.

She was dealing with and knocking out his insecurities. She was inoculating him against the spirit of rejection by reminding him of his identity.

When we refuse to identify with the negative assessments of others, we are vaccinated against the disease of rejection.

When I was a child, my neighborhood was populated with bullies. (It wasn’t the greatest of neighborhoods.) In junior high school in the early ‘60s, I was bullied by a guy. However, I didn’t need professional help and hours of therapy to straighten out my psyche. I didn’t bring a gun to school and take it out on teachers and students. He just pushed me against the wall and threatened me, and it was over. (He was a guy who chewed tobacco in the eighth grade, and he didn’t like it when I called him by his last name. Of course, I complied with his demand, because you don’t mess with a guy who chews tobacco in the eighth grade.)

Children are rejected at a very young age. When I was in elementary school, the teacher picked the captains who, in turn, selected their team members for our competitive games. Of course, there were always a few who were picked last for obvious reasons. They weren’t very athletic, you might say. In those days, you either won or you lost. The winners got the rewards, and the losing team got the wards. (Wards are sections in a hospital for patients who need particular care. They were wounded by the projectiles of rejection and bullying.)

We learned trash-talking at an early age, and we were pretty cold-blooded with our vocabulary.

On the other side of the coin, when the teams were picked for the academic competitions, the roles were often reversed. We were all subjected to rejection.

Kids called me Dumbo because of the size of my ears, and they made fun of me because I wet my pants later in life than most of the kids. I had to deal with rejection along with everyone else.

The effects of rejection can start in early childhood and last a lifetime if we don’t inject the child within us with the antidote of the Word of God to take that child out of its misery.

Otherwise we will be rejected, which is also an adjective. This is a reference to definition. Adjectives describe people. Adjectives define people.

Our lives should never be defined by rejection.

In other words, we should not allow rejection to determine our identity, the quality of our lives, or the meaning for our existence.

I looked for some quotes about this inevitable, and I found one I liked. This is a quote from a well-known actress.

Look up the definition of rejection in the dictionary, get really comfortable with it, and then maybe you can go into acting.

—Loni Anderson

To make it in Hollywood, one has to be able to handle and navigate through rejection. I will expand that to all the woods of life. Rejection can lead you into the woods and abandon you there.

If I reject you, I