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Acceptance Without Agreement

Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.” (Rom. 15:7); “Those who feel free to eat anything must not look down on those who don’t. And those who don’t eat certain foods must not condemn those who do, for God has accepted them” (Rom 14:3).

 

Heavenly Father, I wish learning to accept others primarily revolved around issues like culinary choices, paint colors, and sport teams. As a carnivore, I have many vegetarian friends. Though I love greens and blues, my heart-color-palate has expanded as I’ve gotten older. And as a graduate of the University of North Carolina, by grace, I love my Duke and Kentucky brothers and sisters in Christ.

But here’s where I struggle Father, and need your wisdom, kindness, and more grace. What does acceptance without agreement look like? How does “faith expressing itself in love” (Gal. 5:6) in real-life scenarios like these?

 

  • A “chilly disconnect” lingers in a friendship because our memories differ drastically over what actually happened and what was said in the past.
  • Those with whom we’ve cherished the Gospel and taken communion now distrust and exclude one another based on science, politics, and medicine.
  • When people we love make choices that fuel our fears, contradict our sensibilities, and stress already fragile communication.

 

Father, you promise wisdom when we lack it, grace when we need it, and love for any and every situation. Thank you. We abandon ourselves to you—the God who raises the dead and works in all things for our good. May we trust you more than vex about others. So Very Amen.

 

 

 

 

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