Love and Acceptance

This is basically what I am using for my prayer group on Friday night at the Women's Retreat (I'm the leader).

Love and Acceptance
What does this mean?

To me, this means agape love, or love unconditional. To accept one another for their differences while continuing to love them as Christ loves us. Carrying out what God intends in love and acceptance. Sometimes this includes reconciliation between people.

This reminds me of the love I have for my family. No matter how much I may get upset at something they do, they will still be my family. God has blessed me with them, and no matter how hard I try to “disown” or hate them, they are still family!

We should treat our brothers and sisters in Christ the same way. We are all apart of a family, always will be! They are still going to be in Heaven with us anyways. We will have differences in beliefs, but God commands us to accept them (of course, with in the realm of His will, not blatant against the will of God). Be careful not to judge a person’s belief based on personal interpretation. As Christians, we all believe in the same God, right?

Always give someone the benefit of the doubt. This is a very important part of love and acceptance. Assume that they weren’t purposely trying to hurt you. Act in terms of the Golden Rule.

You also must accept yourself, for who you are. Who you are is God’s gift to you, who you become is your gift to God. It starts with accepting yourself. You have unique gifts and abilities that God has blessed you with. Don’t compare yourself with others. God blesses us all in different ways; we must seek out the gifts he has blessed us with and act upon them.

You also must love yourself. This is different from accepting yourself. You can accept yourself but not love yourself. Now, obviously, I don’t mean be vain about loving yourself. If you don’t love yourself, it is going to be hard to love others. If you don’t love yourself, you won’t take care of your needs including physical, spiritual, mental, or emotional. You may end up abusing yourself in one or more of those areas. For example, if you don’t love your outward appearance you may starve yourself or over-eat. You may hate yourself for the sins you have done, and feel that you don’t deserve God’s forgiveness. Most of this stems off of a lack of self love. It is okay to love yourself for who God created you to be.

Few verses:

Why should we accept ourselves?
Psalm 139:13-16
13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
16 your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

What will loving and accepting ourselves prepare us for?
Isaiah 6:8
8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!"

Why should we love each other?
Ephesians 5:1-2
1Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children 2and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Romans 12:9-10
9Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.

Why should we accept one another?
Romans 15:5-7
5May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, 6so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
7Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.

Part of accepting one another is:
Matthew 7:1-2
1"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

Overall of this:
John 3:16
16"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.