If We Know We are "Accepted in the Beloved," We can Accept Ourselves and Grow in Holiness
Tuesday Thought 1.16.24
Walking with Jesus requires an agreement with his perspective. Jesus sees us as we are. He sees all our selfish motivations. He knows what drives us. He is cognizant of all our failures. He knows how we mistreat our family. He knows our secret longings. He sees our desire for acclaim. He knows all those aspects of our personalities that we are ashamed of. And yet, Jesus also reaches for us. He wants to communicate. He enjoys our company. He wants to hear our dreams and desires. He’s aware of our whole selves. The more we walk closely with Jesus, the more we come to see ourselves as He does. We can afford to acknowledge our weakness and rebellion because we know we are held by him.
We can tolerate the knowledge of our failures with self-compassion. We can be aware of our selfishness and work on acting in the best interest of others because we rest in his acceptance. We can submit our desires for acclaim to his will. We learn to trust He will give us what is good for us. We can accept all our parts because Jesus has accepted us. Yes, he’s at work in us to grow us up, but in the meantime, he’s not angry with us. He knows who we are. And his acceptance precedes growth in holiness. If we have turned our hearts, as fully as we know how, toward him, we are “accepted in the beloved.” Ephesians 1:6, KJV Let your peace rule in our hearts, Lord Jesus, even as you sanctify us. The Lord bless you and keep you all your days.