Being Accepted

All of us can tell whether another person is going to accept us. We can almost feel it. You must have some inkling if you can see me whether or not I would listen, whether I would care. What I wish is that I could radiate the love of Jesus, that you would feel that I want to be like Him.

The leper knew that if he went to Jesus he would accept him.

Some people teach that a precondition to becoming a Christian is that you have to do this or that, and only then will Jesus accept you. What we see here is that Jesus accepted the leper just as he was, and lo and behold, the leper believed Jesus could heal him, and Jesus did. Jesus is still the same today. He accepts you as you are.

In fact, we are told in John 8:3-11 that Pharisees, who were a self-righteous, legalistic group of people, brought a woman caught in adultery and said to Jesus, “In the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” Jesus bent down and started to write in the ground with His finger. Then He said to these people, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” Hearing that, they all left. Then Jesus said to the woman, “Where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

The woman said, “No one, sir/”

The Jesus declared, “Then neither do I condemn you. Go now and leave your life of sin.”

What did He do? He accepted her. That is His way. Jesus displays such tenderness. I could give one example after another to assure you that whatever may be in your past, whatever it is that you’ve done, this Jesus will accept you.

Excerpted from All’s Well That Ends Well (Authentic Media, 2005) R. T. Kendall

My Response:

Abba, I thank you for knowing I am accepted by you. I confess for a very long time I have struggled with being accepted by others. You open your arms and heart and say to me, “Come unto me; I love you and accept you.” THANK YOU! The leper was an outcast of the community, yet this one summons the courage to draw near to Jesus, and begs for acceptance, what is amazing is that you did.

All of my life you’ve known me, without pretense, or any false front, you see me and know me, and as I come with my needs, you’ve never pushed me away. Yes, I can sense the walls that have been quickly erected to keep me away by others; that look of rejection, which so often left me wishing I were, hansom, smart rich and important; that would cause others to want to know me or perhaps become me. You God never let me sense anything other than love and loving kindness, welcome and cared for.

Forgive my anger and resentment at those who don’t and won’t love people just like me. I can’t tell you what it means to be loved and cared for by you the God of heaven and earth, my Savior and my friend. It is easy for me to say, I can’t love those who I don’t know; I can’t love everyone. But you have and do; and if your Holy Spirit is within me, you remind me, you have given me that same capacity, and ability that I too can be the “healer, and restorer of a sense of personal value to a hurting world as you have been. May those who declare themselves to hate me and those like me, see in me the same love you had for the leper and the woman caught in adultery. Yes, Lord, there are moments when I put on the robe of judgment and condemn them, but your Spirit…, come Holy Spirit, pour out of me that which your presence brings, peace, reconciliation and yes, acceptance.

May you be seen in my life and living. Thank you for accepting me, but also for correcting and transforming me into the likeness of Yourself, Jesus. Jesus, of myself I can’t, and don’t want too, but because you are present, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” It is your truth in power, living out in me. Yes, Lord I thank you for what you are making within me, AMEN!