Acceptance Receiving others willingly and unconditionally (even when their behavior has been imperfect) and loving them in spite of any differences that may exist between you. (Romans 15:7)
Meeting The Need for Acceptance In and Outside the Church
I think ACCEPTANCE is a need that is very strong in our society. We are always struggling to have it or get it from many places and people. We think we can get it if we have the right clothes, the right look, the right social status, the right language, the right shape, the right hairstyle…the list can go on for a long time!
The need for acceptance rings so strong in each of us because it leads to a sense of belonging. We all want to belong to someone or something. From the time we are little we seek to be accepted by those around us. We feel it at school from a very young age, we feel it at work, in our community and, yes, even at our church. We want to feel in our heart that we are a part of something or someone and not apart from everyone and everything.
We seek it…. and if we don’t receive acceptance in a healthy way, we will often seek to try and meet the need in unhealthy ways: choosing behavior or a “look” to identify with a group or even gangs, beginning bad habits to be “accepted by others where we want to fit in. We may try radical groups, cults, going into debt, affairs, drugs and alcohol (so we can go numb). This list can go on for a long time too.
God built each one of us to have the need to be accepted. He means for us to help meet that need in each other – but in healthy ways. He also seeks to meet that need, if we let Him.
Let’s Walk in the Light of Jesus – He is the Light of the World (John 8:12) Walking in the Light of Jesus means we not only follow His commands in scripture and seek to “be” this light to others but also encounter Him in times of prayer or meditation deepening our understanding of His love, His character, and His attitude toward us. We do this by having our own “Fresh Encounters” with Jesus, meaning we spend time with Him and experience His presence in our lives.
How does God accept us? Take a minute to read the definition of “Acceptance” above. In many ways we have fallen short and our behavior is certainly imperfect. Also there are so many differences between us and God as His thoughts and ways are high above ours. Even though we fall short and aren’t always acceptable, even in our own eyes, He accepts us and receives us into His family because He loves us and His grace is extended to us.
He adopts us when we put our trust in Him: Ephesians 1:3-14 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. 11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. 13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
Let’s do the Book!- Walking in the Light of God’s Word
Let’s Walk in the Light of Real Fellowship with Our Children
I am combining these two this week because I feel they are one in the same in this week’s plan. Doing the Book, Walking in the Light of REAL Fellowship go hand-and-hand for Acceptance.
Romans 15:7 Accept one another then, just as Christ accepted you in order to bring praise to God.
We all come from different backgrounds and we look differently, but just as Christ accepts us into His family we are to accept others into ours. This may be inviting people into our homes and making them feel at home, reaching out to those that are different from us- bridging the gap between our differences, treating others as we want to be treated. (You and I have the need to be accepted, but please remember that every person has that need.)
There is always someone new at church that wants to belong to the church family – reach out to them. There are many “neighbors” who live alone – visit them and acknowledge them. There is always a community that is in need, do what you can to help. There are many ways to “live out” acceptance of others. Ask God to use your talents and gifts to include those around you.
Will you ask God each day this week to show you someone in your church and community that you could reach out to? Remember your own need to be accepted and let that motivate you, since others have that same need. Are you willing to meet that need in others? Let’s do this together for those in the church and outside the family of faith as well. Our world desperately needs the followers of Christ to communicate acceptance in the same way He accepts us.
The fact that our behavior was and is imperfect doesn’t stop God from loving and accepting us into His loving family.
The fact that we are “different” from Him did not stop Him either.
Let’s apply His acceptance of us in the power of the Holy Spirit to accept others. Our example of loving acceptance and reaching into the lives of others, who may have no one in their lives who accept them, could be the relationship God uses to bring those outside the faith into His family. He may use your accepting of another to help a person, even another believer, know God’s love in deeper ways…starting at home and reaching out into the lonely world.