Joyce Meyer Shares 6 Ways to Heal From Rejection and Live With Peace and Purpose (EXCLUSIVE)
The beloved Bible teacher reveals how faith and self-care helps turn pain into peace
Beloved for her humor and tell-it-like-it-is wisdom, speaker, Bible teacher and bestselling author Joyce Meyer has a ministry that reaches millions worldwide through television, radio and live events. She has authored more than 100 books, and in her personal life, she is a proud mother of four children, grandmother to 12 and great-grandmother to 13.
But the engaging and confident 82-year-old admits it took decades for her to embrace herself for who she is and move past feelings of unworthiness. “Looking back, I rejected myself for a long, long time,” she admits to Woman’s World. “Most people don’t love—or even like—themselves, and I was one of them,” she shares honestly and cites surviving childhood abuse, hardship and rejection, “But you can’t give away what you don’t have. If you don’t love yourself, you’re going to struggle to love others. But God loves us no matter what—just as we are. God is always with us, and the sooner we learn that, the sooner we can overcome anything.”
Read on as Joyce opens up to Woman’s World as our cover girl (get your copy here!) about how to nix comparison, heal from rejection and live each day with joy.
God never rejects us
“One thing I want women to remember is that just because people reject us doesn’t mean they’re right,” Joyce says. “And it certainly doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with you—that’s their problem, not yours. God never rejects us. When He called me to teach the Bible in 1976, I was rejected because people said, ‘Women don’t do that.’ When I started, I didn’t have the right education or the right personality, and almost everybody I was in a relationship with at that time felt like I was doing the wrong thing. But when I look back now, I wonder how many people miss out on their destinies because somebody else doesn’t approve of them or tells them they aren’t right for something they are called to do. I have found that the devil uses rejection, probably more than anything else, to stop people from fulfilling their destinies. So don’t let it stop you.”
Purpose in pain
“I never thought I’d say this, but I’ve come to a place where I don’t wish my childhood abuse hadn’t happened,” Joyce admits. “Not because it wasn’t horrible, but because I’ve seen how God has used it to help others. There’s no heartbreak you’ve been through that He can’t use for good. The things we think disqualify us are the very things God uses to equip us. Your story — every broken part of it — can bring healing. That’s the beauty of God’s grace. Nothing is wasted when you trust Him to transform it.”
Find your peace
“I’ve learned I can’t multitask my way to peace. Noise, rushing and trying to do everything—it steals your connection with God. When I feel overwhelmed, I find a quiet place and let the world settle. That’s when I hear Him most clearly. That anchor is the key to peace.”
Love the true you
“One of the biggest traps women fall into is comparison, I did it for years,” Joyce shares. “I wanted someone else’s hair, their body, their confidence, their prayer life. But the truth is, God didn’t make us to be copies—He made us to be originals. You’re one-of-a-kind, handmade by Him with a purpose only you can fulfill. Don’t waste time trying to be someone else. Accept yourself as you are. When you stop comparing yourself to others and start embracing who you are, you’ll find happiness and a strength you didn’t even know you had.”
Exercise is spirit-lifting
“Twenty years ago, God put on my heart: ‘If you don’t start exercising, you won’t be strong for the last third of your journey.’ Now, I’m in my eighties still working out three times a week with a trainer — doing some weights and stretching — and doing just what God called me to do. I always say, I’m not working harder — I’m working smarter, and letting God lead. And I’m still staying strong each day!”
Do it afraid
“Confidence doesn’t mean you never feel afraid — it means you trust God enough to do it afraid. We can’t put our confidence in ourselves or even in other people. Everyone has weaknesses. Our true confidence comes from believing that if God called us to it, He’ll see us through it.”
Find wisdom in Joyce’s new book!
In her new book Healing the Wounds of Rejection — co-written with her friend and longtime producer Ginger Stache — Joyce explores how heartbreak from childhood trauma, a broken relationship or simply not feeling “good enough” doesn’t have to define us. With her warm wisdom, Joyce shares her journey of overcoming decades of rejection to confidently walk in her purpose, while Ginger offers her own powerful insights, hope and practical steps toward lasting self-worth.
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