Acceptance = Peace

As a man, there are a few things in this world I refuse to accept.  For example:

*I cannot accept that ice dancing is a legitimate olympic sport.

*I cannot accept Yorkie Terriors.  They are not dogs.  They are gerbils.

*I cannot accept that yellow lights mean that red is soon to follow.  Green means go.  Yellow means go faster.  The evidence of this flawed philosophy can be found on my most recent $378.00 ticket, which I received from the state of California, complete with photo, shot by an automated camera at an intersection six blocks from my house.

*I cannot accept the three Star Wars prequels.  Duh.  Or Michael Bay’s film renditions of my favorite childhood cartoon, Transformers.  Duh, again.

*I cannot accept the fact that Buffalo Wild Wings is bad for me.  How can something that tastes so right be so wrong?  The nutrition information must be lying–there is no way that each wing has like seventy grams of fat.  It’s just chicken meat and sauce!

*I cannot accept the fact that I must consult the manual when building IKEA furni.  Dude, it’s IKEA.  A three-year-old CHILD can put those things together.  I do, however, acknowledge that I have several bookshelves, side tables, and dressers in my home with backward legs and upside-down handles, THROUGH NO FAULT OF MY OWN. 

*I cannot accept Steak without A-1.

*I cannot accept a male who drives a Jetta.  Especially a white Jetta. 

Whenever I am asked by the universe to swallow any of the above, I go into a shutdown mechanism, not unlike the red ring of death on an Xbox 360.  And just like a 360 isn’t supposed to be bumped while running, I was not programmed to comprehend or accept the above.  It’s just not in me.

And on that note, I would say acceptance in general is something I “struggle” with.*  To be honest, I have a hard time bowing to the fact that there are certain things in life that are out of my control.  These are things like growing old, or having to put my needs second in order to be a good husband. 

What I have discovered, though, is that my level of peace is directly proportional to my level of acceptance.  And likewise, my anxiety is fatally linked to my battles against my own circumstances.

I have found that without acceptance, the walk of faith becomes less like a joyous stroll on an open road, and more like heavy steps through waist-deep sewage.  And I think I am not alone in this.  It seems like many of us have a hard time with this concept.  Some cases in point (yes, another list):

*We cannot accept the choices we have made, so we carry guilt like an anvil. 

*We cannot accept our circumstances, so we desperately strive to create new ones, putting pressure on ourselves to find our dream jobs, dream spouses, dream homes. 

*We cannot accept our very selves–our bodies, our skill sets, our gifting–so we battle with envious feelings toward those around us. Or we concoct exaggerated online personas to compensate.

But what if God has us right where he wants us in every way? 

If you can learn to accept who you are, where you are, and what you have done, you will find that life will fall right into place.  Maybe the bad decisions you made in the past are the key to someone else’s healing.  Maybe the job that you despise is actually training for something greater on the horizon.  Maybe you are meant to be single right now, because you aren’t yet ready for the person God has for you. 

If you can learn to accept everything–every detail of your circumstance–and stop fighting against your current situation, you will find a new, magical place of contentment.  After all, it’s safe to assume God must know what He is doing.  He made you didn’t He? 

Remember…not my will, but thy will.

If you can accept, you can trust.  If you can trust, you can have faith.  In having faith that God knows what He is doing you will find that when you look in the mirror you will see someone who is not fatally flawed, but uniquely designed.  And in viewing life through this lens you will be less apt to compare your biceps, stature, spouse, car, or guitar playing abilities to someone else’s. 

You will then see that any circumstance in your life, while not necessarily perfect, is absolutely ok.

And in that, self-esteem, confidence, and peace is sure to follow.

*”Struggle” is a stupid word that is a soft, delicate way of saying you blew it.  It was coined, no doubt, by someone who was very afraid of offending his fellow believers.  Let’s face it: When someone says they are “struggling” it usually means there is very little resistance or battle taking place. We should replace the word “struggle” with a more honest phrase like “blatantly defiling and desecrating myself with.”  For example: I am struggling with pornography.  For these reasons, If I ever use the word “struggle” I always make sure it is in quotes, so you know my use of the word is at least moderately ironic.  Instead of the word “struggle” let’s be men about it.  Let’s just admit we screwed up, repent, and move on.  Otherwise, we are just making allowances for more “struggles” in the very near future.

May 17, 2011 · Other · 13 Comments