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Willing To Accept… “And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who is to come.” Matthew 11:14

Hard words, hard people and hard situations are hard to accept. Do you or someone you know feel like they are between a rock and a hard spot? Do your options seem like they have dried up; your energy to press forward is depleted? Perhaps its time to accept the cold hard facts of where you find yourself. Reality has a way of catching up with our denial.
 
It is ok to be optimistic, but not to the peril of ignoring your predicament. Are emotional reactions driving your decision-making, or do you prayerfully process the facts clearly and objectively with wise input from others you trust? Do you need to give up something: your house, your car, your career, your travel or your expectations? What is the Lord asking you to give up, so that you can gain Him and His peace? Acceptance requires action.
 
Furthermore, there are people who require additional patience and grace to accept. Has someone wronged you to the point that your resentment is blocking your acceptance of them? You may justify your rejection of them because of their rejection of you. For example, children and parents can let us down--even devastate us--but Christians do not have the option of not accepting them for who they are. Love accepts even unworthy recipients.
 
Do you find yourself in a situation where you don’t feel accepted: A new job? In-laws? A new school? A new city? A new relationship” You can stew in self-pity, or you can take the initiative to reach out to your rejecters. Kindness reaches out and rejects rejection. “A man who has friends must himself be friendly” (Proverbs 18:24, NKJV).
 
Above all, are you willing to accept God’s call on your life? When His will is uncomfortable and uncertain, will you still go there in trust? Start by accepting Christ by faith, as your Savior and Lord, and then continue to accept His commands as evidence that you are His disciple. Acceptance of the Lord allows you to love Him and other people. Acceptance cannot continue alone, but is accelerated and accompanied by the Almighty’s grace and love.
 
Do I wholeheartedly accept God’s plan for my life? Who do I need to accept in love?
 
Related Readings: Genesis 4:7; Ecclesiastes 5:19; Romans 11:15; 1 Timothy 1:15