Accepted By Our Heavenly Father
See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! 1 John 3:1(NIV)
We continue the story told in the movie, Unconditional. Samantha arrives at the hospital with Keisha and Macon. While she waits for the doctors to tend to Keisha, a close childhood friend, Joe Bradford arrives. She is surprised to see him, but even more surprised when she hears him inquire about Keisha. Joe and Samantha grew up in a small town. At school, Joe is bullied because of his skin colour and rejected by his schoolmates. He feels lonely and rejected until Samantha befriends him, and they become inseparable. However, they lose contact when they both leave for college.
In Joe’s final year, he takes his friends up on a bet to hack into a bank. He gets caught stealing $200 from a bank account and is sent to prison for 8 years. He later explains that his desire for acceptance and acknowledgement for who he is drove him to take his friends up on their bet. This cost him dearly. In prison, he ends up in a fight, landing him in solitary confinement. During his time in solitary confinement, in the darkest and loneliest place, he has an encounter with Jesus that changes the course of his life.
He is For Us
The rejection that came with the bullying had left an emptiness in Joe that he tried to fill by proving to others that he is worthy of their acceptance and friendship. We all have an innate desire to be accepted. This desire takes on another dimension when we look for acceptance on social media platforms. We equate acceptance with the number of likes we get on a post. We weigh ourselves on the scales of social media and those of society. When we do this, we will be “found wanting,” unable to measure up to the high standard of others.
As followers of Jesus Christ, we are assured that God does not weigh us on those scales. We don’t need to perform to prove anything to Him. This is what Jesus says,
Those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them. John 6:37 (NLT)
We are all created in God’s image, and He accepts us as we are. When we come to Jesus with our unworthiness and rejection, He will be there with open arms, ready to receive us. When you are bullied and left out in the different arenas of life – school, work, sports, friendships, online – come to the Father. When you do, He will not judge you. He will accept you. He will lavish His love upon you. He will call you His child. (1 John 3:1). That is who you are – Child of the Most High God.
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:31 (NKJV)
Reflection:
When others don't accept you for who you are, run to Jesus. He is waiting for you.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, I feel left out, unworthy, and unable to live up to the standard set by others. I am tired of feeling this way. Hear my cries. Give me the assurance, a deep knowing in my soul, that I am fully loved and accepted by You. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.
