Accepted and Beloved

Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners,
but fellow citizens with the saints, and of
the household of God. 
Ephesians 2:19

Lately it has been impressed upon my heart to try to encourage the men who are part of my fellowship group by stressing that through faith in Jesus Christ, we are now members of God's royal family...

As expected, however, many of them have difficulty believing and fully grasping this truth. And the reasons for this, I think, is because most came from troubled backgrounds and dysfunctional families where there was a lot of personal failure, rejection, and lots of belittling comments and put downs spoken against them. They've been kicked aside so often that it has become hard for them to conceive of a God who loves and accepts them just as they are, failures and all.

Yes, it is something of a challenge to help these precious souls learn who they are in Christ, and to be able to see themselves as God sees them. This being as those who've already been accepted and welcomed into God's family.

It took me awhile to understand this, too. I had difficulty receiving God's love. That it was not something to be earned but is freely given. Now, of course, I understand that God does love me. That through His grace I am already a citizen of heaven even while, for the present time, my feet remain planted on earth.

D.B.