“…People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7
I’ve spent a lot of time this week reminding my kids they are loved and accepted the way they are…..while at the same time spending a lot of time rejecting certain behaviors that seem to keep getting in the way of either obeying, feeling loved, believing in themselves, or moving forward in faith. The irony is the rejection of a behavior often makes a person feel rejected and the very fear of not being accepted comes fully to life and down the slippery slope we go!
Something seems to happen as a person becomes more aware of the world around them. A young child can go from full smiles and giggles, drooling, talking about pottying, and eating with smears of food on their face with pride to….fear of what the people around them think of their hair, clothes, smile, to name a few. It is a bit of the Adam and Eve hiding syndrome…
“Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked…” Genesis 3:7
I’m beginning to understand why God’s request of Adam was so important.
“You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” Genesis 2:17
Up until this point in the story, God’s creation story was pretty amazing. Sky, water, lush vegetation, animals of the sky, sea, and land, and finally man to oversee and care for it all…. Then something interesting happens.
“But for Adam no suitable helper was found.” Genesis 2:20
God went on to create woman, they were naked and felt no shame. Genesis 2:25
What transpires next is a game changer and we are still experiencing the effects today. The serpent deceived Eve. He placed doubt in her about God’s request not to eat of the one tree in the middle of the garden and minimized the consequence.
“’You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. ‘For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’” Genesis 3:4
Eve went on to eat it; she offered it to her husband as well and….
“Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked….” Genesis 3:7
Something very significant happened after Satan deceived Eve. She invited Adam into the same decision and together they fell away from the blessings God had for them. Was it Adam’s desire to be accepted and not left behind? Was it Eve’s desire not to let that serpent down or be alone in her decision? We will never quite know, but nothing was the same after that.
When I reflect on that story, it makes me think of my own children and wonder when they “ate of the fruit” of the world to be deceived into believing certain untruths about their worth. It happened right under my very nose and I have to daily remind them what the truth is vs the lies the world will teach you. I witnessed the change from being “naked” to being “clothed.” When the desire to be accepted by others rose above being accepted by God alone.
We adults walking around….we are just children in bigger bodies. We have all gone through these feelings. Wondering if we are accepted by others the way we are. Wondering if we can reveal our entire self and still be accepted or if we will be rejected and need to go hide. It truly is one of the enemy’s greatest deceptions and I am sure why God didn’t want us with the knowledge we possessed from eating that “fruit” in the garden those many years ago.
I wonder if that is a little like this statement Jesus made…
“’I have much more to say to you, more than you can bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you.’” John 16:12-14
I wonder if God knew that our shoulders would struggle to hold knowing the whole truth. The weight of sin enough to crush us and cause us significant pain and He wanted to protect us from that knowledge so we could remain like children in His presence.
But God…
He offers one primary solution to this knowledge of sin we have stepped ourselves into…
Love
“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8
We cannot go backwards. We can’t undo what has been done. We have to accept each other where we are, love through the doubts, insecurities, lies, and unbelief, and cover those sins with a love blanket so we all may become whiter than snow. (Psalm 51:7)
Father, we come to you today carrying weight on our shoulders. Many of us fight feelings of inadequacy, unworthiness, and fear of fully being ourselves and being accepted. Remind us and renew us to be who you designed each of us to be. Make us new. Make our value be rooted in your opinion of us and help us to continue loving others when it is difficult to do so. Overflow us with an abundance of love we can share with others. We love you, we need you, and we appreciate your sending Jesus to guide us to the finish line. Amen.
P.S. Today’s photo may not seem significant, but you do not realize the angst I had in having it taken. I was terrified to get a photo taken to attach to God’s message in me related to the book He had inspired me to write yet I felt Him calling me to do more with it and develop a website. The designer wanted photos of me and I wanted to run and hide. A friend came to take photos and this one I have not shared but it is a true smile as God taught me whether anyone else accepted me, He did, and I need to keep moving forward! So, here is to you accepting YOU! Love to you, Julie
Father, Today I Surrender:
My Acceptance
Show me the next step I should take.