Rejected for a Purpose

Rejection is universal and inevitable; sooner or later everyone, young or old, rich or poor, handsome or plain, illiterate or educated, will feel its sting. In this lively and encouraging book for Christian readers, author O.J. Toks. Toks shows how “rejection” is actually “direction” from God, who uses it to position a person correctly for his or her greater good. And, while not denying the pain that rejection can cause, Toks urges readers to give thanks when it happens, because it means that something far better is waiting for them. In effect, he encourages Christians to learn to see that those who reject them are actually doing them a service.

“I want to encourage you by letting you know that if you are facing any form of rejection, God is with you…right smack in the middle of your pain,” he says, “using your opposition to position you for your destiny.”

The author tells the poignant story of how he found his own purpose in life after a woman he had fancied rejected him; he had been a waiter and became a writer as a result of that rejection, and a whole new world opened to him.

Toks is a gifted teacher with a strong and compassionate voice. His message is Bible-based, enlivened with stories both ancient and modern, and sprinkled with word-play and humor; the result is a book that, if read aloud, would make an excellent series of sermons on the topic.

The book is also timely, as difficulties due to the loss of employment, foreclosure, or marital strife due to financial pressure has led to many people feeling devalued. Whether one is experiencing rejection as a result of the aforementioned, or from significant others, family members, friends, social groups, or one’s own church community, one feels the need to believe that there is some meaning behind the pain. For Christians, there is no greater comfort than to know that the loving hand of God will more than make up for any loss and rejection they have suffered by using it to clear their path to His highest and best plan for them.

O.J. Toks was born in Los Angeles and was ordained as a minister at Faith Alive Ministries in Richmond, Virginia. He is the author of While You Are Single, and a speaker whose mission is to inform and inspire individuals to find and fulfill God’s purpose in every aspect of their lives. He currently teaches Bible classes and serves in young adult ministry at Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas.

Reviewed by Kristine Morris

Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book and paid a small fee to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. Foreword Reviews and Clarion Reviews make no guarantee that the publisher will receive a positive review. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

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