“But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.”                                   -John 1:12

Many of us carry the scars of rejection and at our deepest core, we long to be accepted. We scan the horizon looking for proof of our acceptance only to feel rejected again.  Jesus provides the way for acceptance as we become children of God.

I Am Accepted By God

The Christmas Eve program rehearsals are well underway in our tiny church. The church ladies demand respect and hard work. We rehearse the songs and study our lines well. This is no amateur show. These ladies’ reputations are on the line, and they don’t want any kids to make them look like they’re unprepared for this holiest evening.

Christmas Eve brings everyone to church even those who aren’t faithful the rest of the year. Everyone comes in their new Christmas attire and the kids gather in the basement classrooms while parents and guests are seated in the sanctuary.

The kids wait in their tiny rooms with their teachers. There is lots of excited, wiggly energy.  A shy child who doesn’t want to perform clings anxiously to her mother. The Momma peels her distraught child off her leg and races upstairs in the hope the child will calm down. A flustered teacher is left to deal with the fallout of tears.  

I have a special role this year. I get to play Mary, the mother of Jesus. I’m a little kindergartener, with a pixie haircut,  wrapped in a white tunic with a rope belt tied around my tiny waist. The blue satin headpiece is a thing of my dreams. It’s a long rectangle piece of fabric that sits on my head and falls over my shoulders. I have to be careful when I move.

I feel pure, innocent and deeply accepted.  Why would God allow me to have such an important role? I’m nobody.  I sing my solo with confidence and am overwhelmed at the delight and the sense of Papa’s love for me. 

It’s the very first time I sense God’s acceptance of me, and I’m overcome with joy and peace. It would be another fifteen years and a lot of heartaches before I understand I’m a child of God.

God Draws Us To Himself

We are never forced into the kingdom of God, we are welcomed with love.  When we come to the end of self, God is ready to receive us with open arms.  He constantly draws us and woos us. God started to draw me to Himself that Christmas Eve when I was five years old.

I don’t remember thinking about God before that Christmas. Who can know what little kids think about? They just want to be safe and know they are loved; at that age, I believed it to be true.  My mom tried to shelter us, but shortly our home started to unravel, and I wasn’t confident anymore. My parents fought, my father drank, and the tension in our home was constant when my parents were near each other. It’s easy to forget about God when life is chaotic.

But God in His infinite, limitless love continues to draw us to Himself. 

What does it take to become a child of God?

It takes surrender and the realization that apart from Him we are nothing.  

It begins with a simple conversation with God.

“God, please forgive me of my sin.  I want to be born of the spirit and be new. Come into my heart and make me new. I want to be your child.” And just like that, you are a child of God, completely accepted, redeemed, and loved.

“They are reborn-not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.”-John 1:13

Dear Papa, I want to be accepted by You and be Your child.  Thank You for the ways You have been reaching out to me my whole life.  Forgive me for the times I’ve shrugged You off or rejected Your love for me. Open my eyes and heart to see Your goodness. I want to be Your child. Amen.

Are you still struggling?

Maybe this will help.

I’ve included a free guide to help you understand your identity in Christ as a beloved daughter of God.  Click on the image below and leave your name and email so I know where to send it.