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Devotional

Living in Acceptance

by CARISSA JOY STRUM ACCEPTANCE Comparison Contentment Expectations God’s guidance & direction Identity in Christ Overwhelmed
Living in Acceptance
  • by CARISSA JOY STRUM
  • Comment
“Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.”
Galatians 1:10

Have you felt exhausted by the burden of expectations? Perhaps a good friend expects you to always be there for her, so you stay up too late or talk for too long because you’re afraid of saying “no.” Or maybe you’re the one your church or mission organization always calls when they need a favor, or the one your children know will always say “yes,” or the one who is secretly proud of the fact that you can’t remember the last time you got a full 8 hours of sleep. 


The world champions achievement and accomplishment to the point of exhaustion, because the world sees life on this earth as all there is. However, we see a completely different picture in God’s Word. Recently, I was convicted by today’s verse when I realized that I was living for the approval of people and the world. What made it sneaky was that I was busy doing good things for good people, but I was doing them out of pride and in the hope that people would accept me. I would make “healthy” meals because I wanted my housemates to approve of my diet. I would work hard at school in order to get good grades and live up to the expectation that people had of me as a straight-A student. I felt guilty sleeping in because everyone thinks of me as an early riser and I don’t want to upset their ideas of me.


Going against people’s expectations feels scary and makes me worry I will not be accepted. People might accept me now, but what if my actions change? Will they still accept me, or will my lack of living up to my perception of their standards lessen their opinion of me? 


Galatians 1 speaks to the heart of the issue of expectations and acceptance by reminding us that we are not living for the acceptance of others, but we are living from a place of secure acceptance and inheritance. Our acceptance in Christ’s Kingdom does not fluctuate based on any external deeds, and we cannot get un-accepted into God’s family (1 John 3:1). 


Once we begin to grasp this and live each day from a heart-space of being fully accepted, we just might find that others accept us as well. When we feel weary or hurt, we can run to Jesus as fully accepted daughters, instead of trying to hide from God in the fear that He hasn’t accepted us. So today, let’s live boldly for Jesus, not working to meet the requirements of others, but living for the Kingdom of God.


Closing Prayer
Father, thank You that we are already accepted and whole in You. Thank You that our external actions and choices do not change this permanent standing as Your chosen and holy daughters. Please guide us as we make decisions, and help us to live from a place of acceptance and grace. We ask that You would help us to receive Your grace and acceptance and extend them to others. In the powerful Name of Your Son we gratefully pray! Amen.
Resources
Song: God I Look to You by Shane & Shane This song is such a powerful prayer and reminder that we look to God alone for vision and value. This prayer asks God to give us His wisdom and vision, which may go against the desires of others. In the chorus, it talks about how we love our God who is our strength. Let this song remind you that God is your God, the One who upholds and strengthens you, and the One who gives you rest.
Song: You Already Know by JJ Heller Sometimes releasing expectations and allowing God to guide us feels scary and uncertain. This song is a beautiful, heartfelt prayer to God about all of these feelings. I encourage us to sit before God and allow this song to wash over us and remind us of God’s goodness and truth.
Question for Reflection

What is one area of life where you’ve been saying “yes” to win acceptance? How can you surrender this area to God, and be faithful to Him instead of working to win the approval of others?

Comments
Carissa Joy Strum
August 04, 2022

I’ve bought into the lie that I need to be at the same financial level as those around me in order to be happy. This leads to me feeling like I need to say “yes” to any opportunity to bring in some income, and to any new fashion or fitness trends that my friends are doing. I want to surrender this area to God, seek His grace, and start prioritizing my time with God and relationships before income, productivity, or status.