Celebration: {Day 28} Acceptance

Another grace-gift -

I am fully accepted in Christ.

On a surface level, I gave mental assent to the fact that yeah, God accepts me entirely because of what Christ did on the cross and I'm saved through that.

But it didn't sink in all that much.  I didn't let the reality of God's acceptance change my thinking (and my living) deeply.

I still lived as though I needed to earn God's acceptance, or work to keep it.  I've already told you how exhausting that was.

But I also worked hard for the acceptance of others.  Not in a trying-to-fit-in-with-the-cool-kids sort of way, but in another dangerously subtle way: I did lots of stuff.  Good stuff.  Helpful stuff.  Serving stuff.  Responsible stuff.  The more of this "stuff" I did, the better, I thought.  And if someone wasn't quite satisfied?  Well, I'd do more.  Try harder.  Aim higher.  It was like being held prisoner behind the iron bars of people's expectations.

Doesn't sound like grace factors into that scenario much, does it?

Honestly, this is something I still really struggle with.  Less, I think, with trying to earn God's smile and more with keeping people happy.  Happy with me.  Happy with what I'm doing.

I justify it (subconsciously, most of the time) with things like, "I just want to be a good testimony/example."  The reality twisted through that seemingly innocent statement is that I want you to see me as "good".  At the root of that tangled mess is proud unbelief.

It's about how I look and not about others getting to know God.  Pride.

It's about me not really resting in this acceptance that God gives.  Unbelief.

Ick.

So what if I received this grace-gift with both hands?  What if I really believed that my Heavenly Father already fully, unconditionally, and forever accepts me, and that was all that truly matters?

If I live from this reality, I'll let His grace pour into me and then spill over into everything I do.  I'll stop doing because of people and start living because of Jesus.