Accept and Approve // Proverbs 12:2

Yesterday we looked at the progression of belief to acceptance — it is one thing to believe in God, but something altogether different to accept His will and way, allowing Him to transform your life. Whereas acceptance on one hand means to believe something is true, we can get confused on what we accept versus what we approve. One way I look at this is I accept that Freddie Freeman plays baseball for the Dodgers now, but I do not approve of it. What this means for us is we must get real about the things we accept and make sure that we order our lives around what is true, right, proper. It is still about making sure your belief shapes your behavior; you accept God’s will; and it challenges you in such a way where you aim to make yourself acceptable for God. This does NOT mean you will accept what everyone does — or that everyone will accept you — but it’s about committing your life to the Lord. Yes, you can accept something without approving it, but don’t let that make you unacceptable. Consider what the Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Thessalonians 3:6, “And now, dear brothers and sisters, we give you this command in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ: Stay away from all believers who live idle lives and don’t follow the tradition they received from us.” Isn’t it profound how much we need forgiveness, mercy, and grace? We also must extend it to others. This is what helps us live in this crazy world where everything seems upside-down and inside-out, and what helps others live with us as well.