An Invitation to Acceptance

Bible Readings: Psalms 139, Luke 7: 36-50

Like most girls in teen years I had my fair share of personal struggles.

Who I was and what the girl behind the mirror looked like didn’t settle in my heart.

I thought if I had just the right amount of fat in the right places, I would feel more beautiful. Maybe if I had no acne or facial pimples I would be happier…or so I thought.

What a trap!

Long hard stares at the girl behind the mirror didn’t yield more than a sigh.

Maybe I should have broken every mirror in the house.

Let me be brutally honest, those were superficial thoughts. 

Sadly, more and more women have a problem accepting their bodies and accepting ‘themselves’. 

The delusional lies of those picture perfect models on the cover pages of sensational magazines have succeed in twisting the true meaning of beauty.

May be like me, you were once caught up in this unreal fantasy of trying to look like those people we know only through the cover pages.

My struggles came to a halt when I discovered that

self-acceptance is one of the greatest keys to fulfilling God’s given purpose and living a fulfilled life.

The alabaster woman (Luke 7: 44-50) was a sinner in fact Jesus knew her sins all too well .

Like her, maybe everyone around you identifies you with your past.

You pass by and the only memory that come to you is a negative one.

Nevertheless, this woman pushed through the murmuring crowd and her screaming past.

She forged her way through her mess.

Onto the only one who mends our broken pieces.

When she discovered the freedom keys given her, she became healed, whole, mended and sweetly broken.

I imagine her looking around her house and saying in her heart “Lord, how do I show you how grateful I am?”

May be it was the most costly possession she had, nevertheless she took it.

And brought it to Jesus.

She paid no attention to those who knew her, all she wanted was the Lord Jesus.

She cared less of what they called her, His mercies was over all.

She ignored the rolling eyes and sighing lips as she humbled herself at His feet, His grace has saved her life.

Now, the alabaster box was at His feet.

After all, she knew well enough it was not about the box or its expensive contents.

There was something more.

Her actions spoke louder.

She needed no words.

Words could not bring alive her thoughts and feelings at this moment.

The whispers of her heart only Jesus heard.

Nothing anyone said shook her, not even the host.

With her knees bowed, she poured out the oil, unwrapped her hair, and wiped it all over His feet.

Her hair was her adornment.

Her hair, her glory, her pride and her sacred graced adornment.

She unpacked all that at His feet.

That is worship!

All that mattered to her was offered up to Jesus.

A blessed, total and sacrificial surrender of the body, soul and spirit.

The worth of the gift, the humility, the whispers of her heart, knees bowed in reverend surrender, she was grateful to be saved.

Invitation to Acceptance means…

Jesus forgave her sinful past 

Jesus gave her a new life, a new identity and a new page.

Jesus accepted her.

Jesus made her whole.

Jesus spared her the shame.

Jesus allowed her draw near.

Jesus gave her a No condemnation verdict.

Jesus gave her the permission to exist and dwell in His presence.

Did you hear that?

I love this woman! 

Jesus has given you a new life it is your turn to accept it, embrace it and begin to live it.

There is no fear for you. Not anymore.

The shame apparel is torn.

Your naysayers are silenced.

To turn new pages in life require that

you make peace with who you are.

Making peace with who you are begins

when your identity in Christ.

To flip over a new page is to be at rest with who God has called you to be.

Who has God called you to be?

It is time to search out who exactly you are in Christ.

The moment of awakening arrives

when the veil of unknowing is torn.

Your eyes are shielded with lies when the truth eludes you.

There is a veil over your eyes when there is an “unknowing”.

But the truth shall set you free.

When your eyes open to the truth, the bondage of lies and misinformation is damaged to the core.

In my ignorance, I struggled with self-preservation, insecurity and lacked knowledge of how powerful the Lord is.

If you don’t know how powerful God’s Word over your life is and the authority He has bestowed on us, the battle with confidence is real.

When you don’t understand how much authority is available to you as a believer you will continue to struggle with low self-esteem and lack of self-worth.

One scripture that held me during those tough days was…

I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. Psalm 139:14 

This scripture was the deliverance my soul needed.

Are you in pursuit of self worth, self esteem, and self value?

Hold dearly to this scripture.

You are carefully fashioned and wonderfully certified by the Almighty God.

There is nothing missing in you.

You are created for good works. Ephesians 2:10

Everything you need for life and godliness is given already (1Peter 1:3)

The Lord has completed His creative work and redemptive assignment in your life.

Whatever the enemy has broken, stolen or destroyed will be restored in your life in Jesus name.

It is time to accept your new personality in Christ Jesus.

When you start seeing yourself the way the Lord sees you, then your deliverance from those nerve-wrecking lies begins. Those lies were what the serpent told Eve. He played on her need to be like someone else.

And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:  For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. Genesis 3:4 -5     

Yes, the enemy makes you see inadequacies in your body, in your mind, in your life and frame.

Eve thought she needed something more other than what the Lord had made her to be.

The daughters of Eve still suffer from these crafty and delusional lies till today.

That old serpent still tells the same lies to women.

For this same reason, many a lady would deck-up, take-out stuff, add some more just to fit in!

Do you recall Esther?

Something about her story struck the cords of my heart.

While the other maidens were asking for all the things to beautify themselves, she was a young lady comfortable with who she was.

She didn’t ask for anything other than that which the keeper had suggested.

Now when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her for his daughter, was come to go in unto the king, she required nothing but what Hegai the king’s chamberlain, the keeper of the women, appointed. And Esther obtained favour in the sight of all them that looked upon her. Esther 2:15

Why didn’t she ask for anything?

She understood that the Lord who was with her was more than enough!

For you my friend, patiently reading this,

The Lord is more than enough for you!

You don’t need anything more.

He has created you beautifully.

I have a sweet friend who makes me laugh whenever she says the ‘lanies’. By ‘lanies’ she means those who pretend they have it all together. I’d always told her not to worry about what the ‘lanies’ are doing or aren’t doing.

Here is something, when you unravel who God has called you to be, the ‘lanies’ become insignificant.

When you understand who you are in Christ nothing pushes you over.

If you don’t know your position in Christ,

you will worry about your place.

You will struggle to fit in.

You will fight to gain acceptance.

Truth is, you my friend are already accepted of the Lord.

You are approved of the Lord.

God has not called us His children to fit in or be like others.

He has called us to live a life set apart fit for His use.

That for me is priceless.

Nothing anyone says or does should sway your heart.

The only way to discover your God given position is to sit at His feet and learn from Him.

When you discover the secret of your existence, you will make peace with ‘you’.

When you understand the mystery of who you are, you will accept ‘you’, and see ‘you’ the way the Lord does.

I too used to struggle with the word ‘accept’, but one of my favourite scriptures opened my eyes to who God says I am.

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10

Who God says you are outweighs what you think of yourself and overturns what the world thinks of you!

Journal Activity:

In your Journal write out the following scriptures and declare them over your life.

You are loved by the Lord (Jeremiah 31:3)

You are accepted by Him (Jeremiah 24:7)

You are chosen by the Lord (2Peter 2:9)

You are not condemned (Romans 8:1)

Finally, the proposition for you, would you receive this invitation of self-acceptance?

Wouldn’t you rather accept who the Lord has created you to be than be swayed with the lies that you have to be someone else?

You might want to read this love letters for you

“For the Woman Who Struggles With Acceptance” by Dawn Boyer 

You are not Hopeless by Stephane Singletary

When You feel Unnoticed by me *wink*

I am excited you accepted the love God has for you. Let’s say this prayer together…

A Short Video

Prayer

Thank you Lord, for making me beautifully and I am so wonderfully created for your glory. Thank you for fashioning me in the way to suit the plans that you have for me. I bless you Lord with the whole of my heart as I accept this invitation to let my desires be rooted in you in Jesus name.

PS: The Full PDF Bible Study is available on request for subscribers only.

For all the links to this study visit THE INVITATIONS home page.
I invite you to join me as we study in together in the next 14 days.