Hello creative friend!
This is week four of twenty in my Freedom Friday posts on Identity in Christ. These blog posts are based on my I Am Journal and I hope you are joining me on this journey whether you own the journal or not.
Our truth topic today is: I am accepted!
Acceptance is something that we humans are desperate for. We all crave it and we long to belong in this world. We desire to be accepted for who we are. When we experience rejection, especially when we are young we can carry that with us wherever we go and make decisions that are based in a lie that we are not accepted. Living in a place of rejection affects many if not all of our choices. Imagine missing out on a great relationship because you are so afraid of rejection that you say no to going to that party? You tell yourself that people won’t like you or that you are not good at making friends. Imagine that instead, you believe that you are accepted? What would be different in this situation? The belief that you are rejected keeps you stuck in a paralyzing fear which makes you unable to move forward. It is crippling! Many of us spend most of our waking hours trying to be someone who is acceptable. We try to behave in a way that will please not only those around us but complete strangers on the Internet as well. If we dig deep in the recesses of our hearts we may find that we are also trying to earn God’s approval in many ways. Have you ever been overwhelmed by your “church duties”, stuck in all kinds of jobs that you are not gifted in or called to do? Choosing church work over your family? It’s a tough job trying to earn approval! The sad thing is that we often applaud those who over work themselves and are completely outside of God’s will for their lives. We say hey, awesome that you’re working yourself to death, someone needs to do it, right? A few years ago, the Lord spoke to my heart and said “you know, I would still love you and approve of you even if you didn’t do any of these things that you do” That was a huge eye opener for me. Walking in my calling is a privilege that I never want to take for granted but taking a much needed rest does not affect my standing with God.
We are totally accepted by God through Jesus and knowing this in your head is not helpful, however, believing it in your heart changes everything. When we believe that we are fully accepted by God, we can humbly walk with our head held high, full of godly confidence. Walking in the truth of acceptance allows me to be ok with who I am and love myself.
Knowing that I am accepted by God means that I don’t have to try to hide my faults and I can bring them out into the open without fear of rejection, and in that place, God’s transformational power can begin to work in me. Tweet that!
You are accepted because of grace through Jesus Christ. You could never earn it.
In what ways are you trying to earn acceptance? How different would your life be if you lived believing that you are accepted? According to this quote by Neil T. Anderson, we don’t serve God to gain His acceptance; we are accepted, so we serve God. Do you believe this? Are you willing to ask the Lord if this statement is true in your life? I hope you will because this could be a game changer for you!
“We don’t serve God to gain His acceptance; we are accepted, so we serve God. We don’t follow Him to be loved; we are loved, so we follow Him. It is not what we do that determines who we are; it is who we are that determines what we do.”
― Neil T. Anderson, Victory Over the Darkness: Realize the Power of Your Identity in Christ
So we praise God for the glorious grace by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. Ephesians 1:6 “
Here are biblical declarations that you can read out loud every day. Declare truth over yourself daily and you will soon believe it! I have included a free printable for you to use, enjoy it!
1- Father God has accepted me in the beloved. (Ephesians 1:6)
2- Because I am in Christ, God accepts and loves me just like He accepts and loves His son.
3- I glorify God by accepting others just like Christ has accepted me. (Romans 15:7)
4- I am accepted by God as I am and not as I should be.
5- I have the courage to believe that I am accepted.
6- Jesus knows everything about me and still accepts me.
7- I accept myself just like God accepts me.
8- I’m accepted by God who is the one who matters most.
Click image to purchase set of twenty printables on sale for $15.00
That’s it for me friend. I hope that this week you will focus on just how accepted you are!!
