Recently I was listening to a podcast that said young men are becoming emasculated because they live life through a screen. They don’t take risks, they don’t leave home, and they definitely don’t ask girls out on dates. The remedy, apparently, is they need to be taught how to handle rejection.

Learning to handle rejection is an important life skill. But there’s an easy way and a hard way to learn it.

The hard way is to let life knock you down again and again until you either harden up or die trying. The easier way, is to lean into your Father’s acceptance.

Because when you know who is for you, it won’t really matter who is against you.

Does God accept me?

God is for you. God accepts you just as you are. His eye is on you and his face shines with undiluted love. He loved you even when you were an unregenerate sinner! (The cross is the proof.)

Now that you are his, you can be confident that his grace is upon you. God is for you, with you, and in you. How can you fail?

As the psalmist said, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life” (Ps. 23:6). Are you facing tough times right now? Look behind you. Here comes God’s goodness and mercy. All you need to do is rest and receive.

You need to settle it in your heart that your Father loves and accepts you, because that revelation changes EVERYTHING. His acceptance elevates us.

When you know God is pleased with you regardless of your productivity, it frees you from the fear of rejection and the pressure to perform. When you’ve heard God say “Yes” to you, it empowers you to say “No” to the unhealthy demands of Pharaoh’s taskmasters.

How to find rest

If you have been burning the candle at both ends trying to get ahead, a revelation of God’s acceptance will bring you to a place of rest. His acceptance will get you off the merry-go-round and sit you down in pastures green.

But that doesn’t mean you will be idle. Those who wait upon the Lord renew their strength (Is. 40:31).

Paradoxically, those who have been freed from the need to produce are often the most productive people around. This happens because the loving acceptance of another brings out the best in us, particularly if the Other is someone special.

Perhaps you have had the pleasant experience of being accepted by the most beautiful girl in the room or the best man in the house.

“Really?! You choose me? But you’re way out of my league.”

As nice as that is, it pales in comparison to the lift that comes from being accepted by the Maker of heaven and earth. To the glory of his grace you have been lifted out of the miry clay and seated with him in heavenly places.

Talk about upward mobility!

With God on our side like this, how can we lose? (Romans 8:31b, MSG)

When you realize that God is for you, it gives you boldness. You begin to strut, not out of arrogance but confidence. “God is on my side. How can I lose?”

On your way up

You’ll walk into the lion’s den with a holy swagger and face the furnace without fear. “God is with me. I will not be burned” (see Is. 43:2).

Situations that intimidate the socks off your coworkers won’t bother you in the slightest. You’ll go in front of performance reviews and interview panels with complete peace and without any desperate need to impress.

“My promotion comes from the Lord. If these guys see that, great, if they don’t, that’s their problem.”

Secure in your Father’s approval, you won’t be bothered whether your ministry flourishes or founders. “It’s his church anyway. I’m just pleased to be here.”

But the good news is you won’t fail. How can you?

Sons and daughters who are supercharged by their Father’s favor shine like stars (Php. 2:15). Elevated by his love they mount up with wings like eagles. They race against horses and walk on the water, living testimonies of the energizing power of his divine acceptance.

—

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Recently I was listening to a podcast that said young men are becoming emasculated because they live life through a screen. They don’t take risks, they don’t leave home, and they definitely don’t ask girls out on dates. The remedy, apparently, is they need to be taught how to handle rejection.

Learning to handle rejection is an important life skill. But there’s an easy way and a hard way to learn it.

The hard way is to let life knock you down again and again until you either harden up or die trying. The easier way, is to lean into your Father’s acceptance.

Because when you know who is for you, it won’t really matter who is against you.

Does God accept me?

God is for you. God accepts you just as you are. His eye is on you and his face shines with undiluted love. He loved you even when you were an unregenerate sinner! (The cross is the proof.)

Now that you are his, you can be confident that his grace is upon you. God is for you, with you, and in you. How can you fail?

As the psalmist said, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life” (Ps. 23:6). Are you facing tough times right now? Look behind you. Here comes God’s goodness and mercy. All you need to do is rest and receive.

You need to settle it in your heart that your Father loves and accepts you, because that revelation changes EVERYTHING. His acceptance elevates us.

When you know God is pleased with you regardless of your productivity, it frees you from the fear of rejection and the pressure to perform. When you’ve heard God say “Yes” to you, it empowers you to say “No” to the unhealthy demands of Pharaoh’s taskmasters.

How to find rest

If you have been burning the candle at both ends trying to get ahead, a revelation of God’s acceptance will bring you to a place of rest. His acceptance will get you off the merry-go-round and sit you down in pastures green.

But that doesn’t mean you will be idle. Those who wait upon the Lord renew their strength (Is. 40:31).

Paradoxically, those who have been freed from the need to produce are often the most productive people around. This happens because the loving acceptance of another brings out the best in us, particularly if the Other is someone special.

Perhaps you have had the pleasant experience of being accepted by the most beautiful girl in the room or the best man in the house.

“Really?! You choose me? But you’re way out of my league.”

As nice as that is, it pales in comparison to the lift that comes from being accepted by the Maker of heaven and earth. To the glory of his grace you have been lifted out of the miry clay and seated with him in heavenly places.

Talk about upward mobility!

With God on our side like this, how can we lose? (Romans 8:31b, MSG)

When you realize that God is for you, it gives you boldness. You begin to strut, not out of arrogance but confidence. “God is on my side. How can I lose?”

On your way up

You’ll walk into the lion’s den with a holy swagger and face the furnace without fear. “God is with me. I will not be burned” (see Is. 43:2).

Situations that intimidate the socks off your coworkers won’t bother you in the slightest. You’ll go in front of performance reviews and interview panels with complete peace and without any desperate need to impress.

“My promotion comes from the Lord. If these guys see that, great, if they don’t, that’s their problem.”

Secure in your Father’s approval, you won’t be bothered whether your ministry flourishes or founders. “It’s his church anyway. I’m just pleased to be here.”

But the good news is you won’t fail. How can you?

Sons and daughters who are supercharged by their Father’s favor shine like stars (Php. 2:15). Elevated by his love they mount up with wings like eagles. They race against horses and walk on the water, living testimonies of the energizing power of his divine acceptance.

—

Have you added Escape to Reality to your home screen?

Have you checked out our massive backlist of 800+ articles?

Ask questions about God, the Bible and life.

God loves the whole world. He loves everyone – you, me, your neighbor. He loves presidents and prime ministers. He loves scandal-plagued clerics and drug-ridden athletes. He loves runaway dads and negligent mothers.

God loves everyone… except Esau.

As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” (Romans 9:13)

Why did God hate Esau?

He didn’t. God loved Esau. You may recall that Esau and Jacob were the grandsons of Abraham. Esau was a man’s man; Jacob was a mummy’s boy. Esau was the first born, but through deception, Jacob inherited his brother’s birthright.

In the passage above Paul is quoting an old prophecy (Mal. 1:2–3) to show how God chose one of the twins (Jacob) but not the other (Esau).

The descendants of Jacob (the Israelites) received the favor of God but the descendants of Esau (the Edomites) did not.

God might just as easily have chosen Esau in which case Malachi would have said that God hated Jacob. But God chose the deceiver. He chose the second-born, the supplanter, the sinner to be the beneficiary of his grace.

Why?

We look at Jacob and ask, “Why him? What made him special?” And we miss the point. Jacob was not chosen because he was special; he was special because he was chosen.

God was looking to display the riches of his glory so he chose Israel. He blessed one nation so that they might reveal his goodness to the others.

Sadly, they failed.

The Israelites were not good ambassadors of God’s favor, but God’s plan was not thwarted. From among their number came Jesus who died for the whole world – including the descendants of Esau.

Why does God choose some?

The wrong way to read this verse is to say that God chooses some and rejects others.

“God chose Isaac over Ishmael. God chose Jacob over Esau. God might not choose me.”

Nope. It can’t happen.

Through the cross God declares his love for everyone of us. He calls you and me and Esau to come home.

If it seems that God chooses some, it’s because he is looking for prophetic people who will serve as signposts to the One who died for all.

In the end, it’s not about Isaac and Jacob who were elevated. And it’s not about whichever celebrity minister or prophet or artist who seems to be flavor of the month. It’s about Jesus who was lifted up so that he might draw all to himself.

Through the cross, God declares, “I love you and I have chosen you.”

Grace welcomes all to the table of his abundance.

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