God Says I’m Accepted

In review of Romans 15:7 it says, “Therefore, accept each other in the same way that Christ accepted you. He did this to bring glory to God” (GW).

Bottom Line:

Accept as you have been accepted.

What this means to me:

I need to accept others in the same way Jesus accepted me. This will bring glory to God.

In the first part of Romans 15, Paul explains how I must be considerate of others. Of how I must not just please myself. But how I should help others do what is right and build them up in the Lord. For even Christ didn't life to please himself. May God, who gives patience and encouragement, help me life in complete harmony with others, as is fitting for one who follows Christ. Join together with others with on voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. I'm to accept others just a Christ has accepted me so that God will be given glory. Christ came as a servant to show that God is true to the promises he made to their ancestors. He also came so that the Gentiles might give glory to God for his mercies to them.

My knowledge of the Scriptures will greatly affect my attitude toward the present and the future (it helps shape my perspective). The more I know about what God has done in years past, the greater the confidence I have about what he will do in the days ahead. I need to keep getting into his word and increase my trust that God's will is best for me.

Accepting means taking people into my home as well as into my heart, sharing meals and activities, and avoiding racial and economic discrimination. I must go out of my way to avoid favoritism. Consciously spend time getting those I don't normally talk to, minimize differences and seek common ground in fellowship. In this way I am accepting others as Christ has accepted me, and God is given glory.

I have to admit that I spend a lot of time trying to earn acceptance. I want to earn it from our parents, peers, partners in life, people I respect, and maybe even people I envy. The drive to be accepted is a deep drive that can influence the kinds of clothes I wear, the kind of car I drive, the kind of house I buy, and even the career I chose.

What I’m learning is that I do it because I love the feeling of “I’m okay. Somebody accepts me.” When I’m accepted, it does tremendous things for my self-worth. The truth is, Jesus accepts me, and that acceptance is not based on my performance. In fact, I may have received Christ, but do I really realize that I’m able to do that because Jesus accepted me? I don’t have to earn his acceptance. I don’t have to prove myself to him.

I need to stop thinking, “I’ve got an unpleasable God up there, and I’ve got to be a good boy or girl to be accepted.” God, through Jesus Christ, has already accepted me. That’s the Good News!

The Bible teaches, “Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me” (Psalm 27:10 NIV). Even today I may be trying to prove myself to an unpleasable person. I’m still attempting to earn that acceptance. I need to understand two things: First, if I haven’t gotten the approval by now, then I’m not likely to ever get it, and second, that is their problem, not mine.

I don’t need to be accepted by others to please God. I’ve been accepted by God. I have more than 7 billion people on the planet. If some of them don’t like me, I don’t need to worry. I don’t need it. God has accepted me!

Accepting Myself; Flaws and All

In review of Romans 9:20 it says, “My friend, I ask, ‘Who do you think you are to question God? Does the clay have the right to ask the potter why he shaped it the way he did?’”

Bottom Line:

Who do you think you are to question God? Does the thing being made have the right to ask the maker why he shaped it the way he did?

What this means to me:

Who am I to question God and how he created me. I have no right to ask him why he had made me the way he has.

Spiritual gifts, heart, abilities, personality, experiences; these are the five things that make me, me. These are called my SHAPE. Accepting my SHAPE; or the unique way that God made me that brings glory to him, means that I need to believe that God knows what’s best. It all comes down to the matter of trust. Do I think that God made a mistake when he made me, or will I trust him, knowing that he has a plan for my life? And furthermore, will I believe it?

When I say, “God, there are things I don’t like about myself. I wish I had different hair or a different color of skin. I wish I were taller, shorter, skinnier. I wish I had more talent. I wish I could do ‘that.’ I wish I looked like him. I wish I had her smarts” and on and on. This kind of thinking is basically telling God, “He blew it! Everybody else is OK. But you goofed up big when you made me.”

When I reject myself, in essence I’m rejecting God, because he’s my creator. When I don’t accept myself, it’s rebellion against God. I’m saying, “God, I know better than you. You should have made me different, with a different set of strengths and a different set of weaknesses.”

But God is saying, “No, that He made me exactly, He wants me to be me, with my strengths and my weaknesses. Both my strengths and weaknesses can give Him glory. I just need to start doing what He made me to do instead of trying to be like everybody else.”

In reality, it’s actually quite arrogant to reject myself. The Bible says in Romans 9:20, “My friend, I ask, ‘Who do you think you are to question God? Does the clay have the right to ask the potter why he shaped it the way he did?’” (CEV)

Whenever I doubt God’s love and wisdom, I will always get into trouble. A key root behind all of my problems is that I don’t trust God. I don’t believe God really loves me. I don’t believe that he really has my best interest at heart. I wish he had made me something different. As a result, there’s a spirit of bitterness that keeps me frustrated and keeps me from being the man God meant for me to be.

Job 10:10 says, “You guided my conception and formed me in the womb” (NLT). God wanted you, and he loves you. Believe it, and then trust it!

Today I will consider things about myself that I've wanted to change and how God might have intended use that very trait to bring glory to him.

Realizing that I’m God's Work of Art

In review of Psalms 139:13-14 it says, “You made my whole being; you formed me in my mother’s body. I praise you because you made me in an amazing and wonderful way. What you have done is wonderful. I know this very well.”

Bottom Line:

God created me, forming me in my mother’s womb.  I will give thanks to Him.  What he has done is wonderful.

What this means to me:

God created every part of me, putting me together in my mother’s womb.  I will give thanks to Him, because I have been so amazingly and miraculously made.  Everything He does is marvelous. I know this very well. As stated in these verses, “You made my whole being; you formed me in my mother’s body. I praise you because you made me in an amazing and wonderful way. What you have done is wonderful. I know this very well” Psalms 139:13-14 (NCV).  Therefore God sees me as a work of art.  When He looks it’s not critically but with a look of deep love.  My body is his workmanship.  Given this truth, I need to adopt the right attitude about my body. I shouldn’t reject or neglect it.  God has truly blessed me and taken care of me when I had let myself slide.  He is using my past infection to get my attention and in doing so has made sure that major harm has not come to me.  He is healing me very well. So, keeping my body in shape will also become a spiritual discipline for me. I need to remember that God created my body, Jesus died for it, the Holy Spirit lives in it, my body is connected to Christ, and it’s going to be resurrected one day. Ultimately, a day will come when God will hold me accountable for how I managed my body.  It’s important to remember that God gave me the body that I’ll need to complete my mission here on Earth. Also, I need to remember that when I reject my body, I’m essentially saying, “God, you made a mistake!” God doesn’t make mistakes.

God Tells Me I’m Accepted

In summary of Romans 15:7 it says, "Therefore, accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory."

Bottom line:

Accept one another, as Christ has accepted you.  Do this for the glory of God.

What this means to me:

I am to welcome and accept others, regardless of how I want to feel about them.  I do this because Christ has welcomed and accepted me.  When I do this, I bring glory and honor to God. I have spent a considerable amount of time trying to earn acceptance. I’ve wanted to earn it from my parents, peers, partners in life, from people I respect, maybe even from people I envy. This drive to be accepted is a deep drive that can influence the way I dress, what I drive, where I live and even my career.  I would pursue acceptance because I wanted to know that, I'm OK, and I'm accepted.  Acceptance does a tremendous thing for your self-esteem. The truth I need to remind myself about is that Jesus accepts me and that his acceptance is not based on your performance. I do not need to earn his acceptance; I do not  have to prove myself to him. The good news is that Jesus Christ, has already accepted me.