ACCEPTED
22nd Oct 2025
We can all recall a time during our school days when we stood in a group and teams were being chosen. Waiting to be picked was a tense moment, as one after another, the team captains selected individuals. When our name was called, it brought great relief; we had been chosen, and we were not being rejected.
There is a significant amount of rejection in our world today, and isolation and loneliness are common. That is the wonderful thing about dedicating our lives to Jesus, who has reached out to us and called us to be part of God's family.
I recently found myself thinking about the word “accepted,” especially the verse in Ephesians 1:6 in the NKJV, which states, “He made us accepted in the Beloved.” In verse 4 of the same chapter, it says, “He chose us in him before the foundation of the world.”
Belonging, feeling wanted, and being accepted are basic human needs. I vividly remember an incident from my childhood. I was about 10 years old, and on Saturdays, I usually visited my grandmother's house to play with my cousin Tim. When lunchtime came, we would go into the dining room for our midday meal. It was often roasted chicken, at a time when chicken was a special treat.
On this particular day, as I entered the dining room, I counted the places around the table, and there appeared to be too few. I thought I had not been invited and was not expected, so I quickly left the room and cycled home. As I walked into the house, the phone was ringing, and my mother answered it. “Where is Charles? We are expecting him for lunch.” I had not been aware that someone who was usually there was eating elsewhere. I got back on my bike and returned.
Jesus said, “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and the one who comes to me I will in no means cast out.” (John 6:37)
The wonderful aspect of belonging to God is that we are loved, accepted, and included in His family. He is our Father and cares for us unconditionally. We are part of the body of Christ, and as we join a church, we gain fellow brothers and sisters who also love and accept us.
by Charles Sibthorpe
