I'm Accepted

by the One who matters most.

The Imanuelsen family

Some say that the three first years in a child’s life shapes the child, which is why it is so important for them to feel unconditionally loved.

If a child is unloved and rejected those first years, they can struggle for the rest of their lives, looking for love wherever they might find it.

You could compare it to a house. The foundation of a house is not so visible, but it is so important for the rest of the building and if it is not done correctly, it will affect the rest of the house.

An unloved child is struggling with rejection, and its “foundation” is not the same as that of a loved child.

I wrote a story about when I as child was thrown out of the car, because I didn’t give my mother which I call “Karen”, the coin I had in my pocket that a neighbour lady had given to me.

An experience that put deep marks of rejection in my little soul and which I had to work on later as to “fix my foundation”.

You can read the story here:

I wanted to be accepted, but I wasn’t.

I wanted to be loved, but I wasn’t.

Instead, I was rejected.

As a result, I tried to please people, hoping someone would say nice things about me, and to me. I did it in a hope of being accepted, and I had a big fear that someone would get angry with me.

What I did to “fix my foundation”

Very simple, I turned to the Father of fathers, The very One who created the family institution as it says in Eph 3:14-15: "For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,"

He never rejects me or throws me out.

I understood that God is love. So I surrendered my life completely to Him. If I hadn’t, I don’t even dare to think what could have happened.

(Many children who grow up without being loved are more prone to end up in the grey zone in life.)

It didn’t mean that all was just good instantly. I naively thought that being a Christian automatically fixed everything in me, but I found out that I needed to work on myself as to “repair my foundation”.

It is of course best not to have to fix it. But not all children grow up in homes where they are loved.

I truly cannot see that it is possible to have the foundation properly fixed, unless you meet God’s love. Even then it is not a quick fix.

I read in the Bible how God loved me, and I experienced it too. But I had to grow in trusting Him.

The Bible says:

"When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up." (Ps 27:10)

This means that He is the Father of fathers, the One who created the institution of family. He knows how to take you up and fill the needs that were not met by an earthly parent. Just come to Him as a child comes to an earthly father, and He is there - being the Parent you never had.

The important thing if you want to experience this, is that you don’t pray a religious prayer, but that you come as a child, like Jesus said:

"Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven." (Matt 18:3)

You have probably seen this scene before: Daddy comes home from work. Out of the door comes little Tom running out and throws himself into daddy’s arms to welcome him home.

This is how God wants us to come - as a child. Then He will be the Father that you so much need, and fill the need of being unconditionally accepted and loved.

If you have been badly rejected, maybe you feel you don’t dare to come to God like this. Then, this is what faith is. Come anyway, trusting that God is the One He has told you that He is.

More or less everyone reading the Bible agrees that Jesus is the very definition of love.

Jesus showed us a love that the human brain cannot understand.

Jesus told us in John chapter 14, verse 9:

He that has seen Me has seen the Father.

So what we see when we see Jesus, is the love of the Father.

God the Father Himself, really, really loves us.

No matter how much we have been rejected by bad people, God does really, really, really care.

So the rejection suffered from bad people weights very little compared to the enourmous love and care God shows for us.

After all, He sent his only son Jesus to die on a cross for me, loving me so much.

Just thinking about what Jesus did for us, and letting it sink in, will drive away a lot of rejection feelings.

Being so highly loved - human rejection does not matter.

For He has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we may boldly say: “The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” Heb 13:5-6

A big mistake many people do is to put their trust in humans.

Some persons like “Karen”, have no intention of even trying to be good, and will let you down over and over again.

Other people might have good intentions but struggle with their flesh and also let you down.

Yes even very loving persons still have a flesh, and might let you down occasionally.

There is only One we should trust.

There is only one that never will let you down:

GOD!

If we put all our trust and hope in God and God alone, we will never be disappointed.

No matter what humans do to us, intentionally or not intentionally - We will never be disappointed, if we put our trust and hope in God, and God alone.

I want to end with some words from a song written by Degarmo & Key:

Cause there's a God above me
Who loves me like I am

I'm accepted, accepted
I'm accepted by the One who matters most

If you think you're a loser
When you fail it seems at everything you do
Just remember there's a Saviour
And you are worth enough
He gave His life for you

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True to the Bible’s instruction, the teaching part of this post is by my husband Emanuel.

-Liv