Acceptance

Most of my life I worked so hard for the acceptance of others to the point of losing my identity, my morals and my beliefs. I was afraid to have my own thoughts in fear of rejection. I wanted acceptance so bad that I was used much of the time. The desire for acceptance is extremely strong in everyone. Another word for acceptance is “Love.” We all have the need to be loved and we will go wherever we seek it. It reminds of the song, “Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places.”

People will always be drawn to someone or a group who will accept them. Naturally we are all drawn to groups with similar interest, but I’m talking about acceptance based on physical appearance, financial standing, color, family, background or even sin. The opposite of acceptance is our greatest fear and that’s rejection.

Do God and Satan accept people? Yes! God accepts all people, but He will never accept sin. Satan accepts the people and encourages the sin. God’s acceptance leads to life and Satan’s acceptance leads to death. Many times God’s people tie the sin with the people and refuse to accept the people. Satan will gladly accept those into his fold.

The truth is to accept and love everyone, but to never accept their sin. I’ve known several people in my life who were living in a sin that was destroying them and their life. I was upfront and honest with them and told them the truth. I told them that I have always loved them and that will never change, but I cannot accept their sin nor condemn them for their sin. To love someone doesn’t mean we have to put a stamp of approval on their behavior. There are those who are afraid of losing the person (husband, wife, child or friend) so they compromise instead of standing firm.

Pride will keep us from loving the ones who are struggling and who do not meet our expectations. By some reasoning we feel since we are not doing what they are doing we must be better than they are. You will see many examples of this in the Gospels with the Pharisees. Many profess Christianity in their words but not in their deeds. In church they do all the right things and say all the right things, but when it comes down to living in truth, then that’s another story.

If someone is lost in a dark cave we cannot push and shove them to the exit. We need to lead them out, but it’s so much easier when we know the way. Sometimes it’s the blind leading the blind. We cannot demand that they find their own way out, but we have to patiently lead them and this can be difficult. To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. Ephesians 1:6