Freely Accepted

Bible Reading: Ephesians 2:1-10

“How was drama club, Hailey?” Mom asked as she took a casserole out of the oven and set it on the counter.

Hailey frowned, avoiding her gaze. “It was good. I had fun.”

“You don’t seem like you had fun,” Mom said, coming over and putting a hand on her shoulder. “What’s wrong?”

Hailey leaned on Mom and sighed. “I’m mad at Alyssa for taking my part.”

“Your part?”

“Yeah. I wanted to be the main princess. But I’m stuck being her lady-in-waiting while Alyssa gets to do cool stuff. It’s not fair! I might as well be a tree with all the acting I do.”

“Well, even trees are important. If you didn’t play your part, who would?”

“They’d find someone.” Hailey sighed again. “If I had Alyssa’s part, I’d be important. I’m just an extra.”

“Why do you think you’d be more important if you had Alyssa’s part?”

Hailey shrugged. “I’d do more. I’d talk more. You’d see me act more.”

Mom squeezed Hailey’s shoulder. “Do you realize what all those sentences had in common? You focused on doing things. But that isn’t what makes you important. Not to me. And not to God.”

“It’s not?”

Mom shook her head. “God sent His Son, Jesus, to die for you. Did you have to do anything to be His?”

“No,” said Hailey. “But what does that have to do with acting?”

“I’m getting to that. A couple years ago, when I adopted you, did you have to clean, weed, or run errands to be part of my family?”

Hailey shook her head. “No.”

Mom wrapped her in a hug. “Before you joined drama club, I knew I’d cheer you on in whatever part you got. God’s the same. Before we knew about Him, before we did anything to please Him, God wanted us to live with Him forever. Because of Jesus, we’re free from worrying whether He’ll accept us based on what we do. It’s the same for you and me, Hailey. You’ll always be mine.”

Hailey’s frown melted away. “You know what? I’m going to email Alyssa, tell her congrats, and see if she wants to practice with me sometime.”

Mom smiled. “That’s a great idea.”

-Julie Potter

How About You?

Do you think you need to do important things so others will accept you? Maybe you feel like you need to get good grades or be talented or popular so people will think you’re special. You don’t need to do anything for God to think you’re special. You’re important to Him just as you are. If you know Jesus, you are God’s beloved child. Nothing you do could ever make Him love you more than He already does.

Today’s Key Verse:
Psalm 100:3 Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. (NIV)

Today’s Key Thought:

God accepts you as you are