You are Accepted

By: Justin Fatica
On my most recent bus tour, I was preaching at an event in the Bronx, NY. Right before the event, I was sitting behind the screens waiting to be introduced. This was the last event on the tour, and I bowed my head and asked God to give me something for the people at this event. As I prayed, I heard God speak to my heart clearly saying, “Tell them they are accepted”. I went up to preach, and the holy spirit allowed that word, “acceptance” to penetrate the hearts of the youth there. Throughout the 45-minute talk, I knew God was using that word to heal many hearts through the word He had given to me just moments before the event start. He was telling these kids that

1. God accepts you
The question here is not if God accepts you, because he does. The question is, can you accept yourself? So many times, we are gripped by sin and shame, and we don’t think we can ever be accepted. The truth is that God accepts you where you are but loves you too much to keep you there. He wants the best for you! He made you and wants to have mercy on you no matter what. All we have to do is ask for forgiveness when we mess up and accept his love. Then, we must accept ourselves and move on.

2. Stop saying “I’m sorry”
Have you ever met someone who is always apologizing? Are you one of those people? When we sin, we need to say sorry to God and those we’ve hurt. But if we didn’t sin, then don’t apologize! Part of acceptance is not saying sorry for things that are beyond our control. Next time you want to say the words “I’m sorry” take a second to think “have I sinned?”. If not, then find the freedom in acceptance.

3. Recognize it’s not your fault
At the event, there was one girl in particular that caught my attention. I looked at her and asked her to think about the one thing that she felt was her fault that really wasn’t. “Are you thinking of it?” I asked her. She nodded her head yes, and then I had her speak into the microphone and say to the crowd of peers in front of her “It’s not my fault”. Then, I asked anyone who had something in their life that they felt was their fault but wasn’t to come up and give her a fist bump. The acceptance of the Father filled the room in that moment as a line of kids came up and let this girl know that she wasn’t alone. That girl was freed that day. Let’s be like her and receive the acceptance of God and know that things that happen to us as a result of other people’s sins are not our fault.

Pause for a moment, wherever you are, and say this prayer in your heart or out loud.

“Lord Jesus, I accept myself. I accept who you say I am. I let go of all the things that have happened to me as a result of others sinfulness or humanity. I accept that they aren’t my fault. I accept your love. Thank you, Jesus, for dying for me so that I know that I am accepted. Thank you for loving me in my weaknesses. I accept myself today, just as I am. Jesus help me to always know that I am accepted.”