* Accepted and Chosen by Him

He made us accepted in the Beloved. —Ephesians 1:6

An unmarried missionary had been disparaging herself. She was unhappy with her life in general, but she was especially displeased with what she felt was her low level of spiritual growth.

One morning she looked searchingly at herself in the mirror. Then, very slowly, she said, “God, I thank You that I am myself and can never be anybody else.”

That was her moment of liberating self-acceptance. She realized that by God’s design she was an absolutely unique person, a Christ-redeemed human being who could never be replaced or duplicated.

Do you condemn yourself because you aren’t as spiritual as you think you ought to be? Do you see yourself as a second-rate disciple, lacking the gifts and graces possessed by fellow believers who seem to be models of prayer, witness, and service? We can rise above the mood of self-rejection and enjoy grateful self-acceptance when we put our lives into the nail-pierced hands of Jesus. “In Him we have redemption through His blood, [and] the forgiveness of sins” (Eph. 1:7). We are accepted and chosen by Him (vv.4-6).

If the Lord has accepted us, surely we can accept ourselves! That’s the liberating truth.
— Vernon C. Grounds

All praise to the Lamb, accepted I am,
Through faith in the Savior’s adorable name;
In Him I confide, His blood is applied;
For me He hath suffered, for me He hath died. —Wesley

Accepting Jesus’ free gift of salvation frees us to accept ourselves.