Affirmation part 1
I know, I know, I get stuck on things easily. But my pastor taught me a very important lesson a long time ago when he told me, "Preach it until your heart is empty on it." And this idea of acceptance is still heavy on my heart. I think it's so important. Important to the people we accept--because only by letting people come as they are will we get people to stop running FROM God and start running TO Him--and important to us doing the accepting--because changing people is impossible and the more we try to change people the more frustrated we get when they don't live up to our expectations. So what I want to do for the next few days is look at what is, in my opinion, the best way TO accept people. The best way to accept people is simply this: Instead of condemning them for who they aren't, affirm them for who they are. 2 Corinthians 3:9 in the Message Bible says it like this, "If the Government of Condemnation was impressive, how about this Government of Affirmation?" Two governments. Two covenants. The Old (which has passed away) and the New (which is abundant, everlasting, and eternal). "Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life" (2 Corinthians 3:6). Did you catch that? We are able ministers of the NEW TESTAMENT. Able ministers of the Government of Affirmation. There is no condemnation in Christ. Because the Government of Condemnation was fulfilled on the cross. Every demand of the Law that we could not live up to--that impossibly high standard of "holiness" that usually just means preaching our particular culture and trying to get people to fit into our particular box--was fulfilled on the cross by Jesus. We couldn't do it, so He did it both for us and as us. He brought us out of the Old and into the New. So that we might walk in newness of life. So that we might know (and believe) that we are accepted... and so that we might accept each other. So that we might stop condemning (ourselves and each other) and start affirming (ourselves and each other)! If we celebrated our differences instead of trying to squash them, we would all get along a lot better. Another pastor friend of mine always says, "Major in the majors and minor in the minors." Don't make mountains out of molehills. If something isn't worth your time, talent, and treasure... don't bother with it. But don't think it's your job to "fix it" either. And listen, I'm not saying you have to be a doormat. You don't have to let people walk all over you. Meekness isn't weakness. All I'm saying is, if something's not for you... fine. Don't engage in it. But just because it's not for you doesn't mean you need to squash it. I can't draw a stick figure with a ruler. That kind of art isn't for me. But that doesn't mean I attack artists. It simply means I stick to writing instead of trying to draw. And while I'm at it I CELEBRATE artists. Because I'm kind of in awe of how they can get the picture in their heads onto the paper. It's different... but different can be good. If we don't attack it. If we accept it.