The Act of Acceptance
I interpret the Act of Acceptance as follows. Accept the fact that my choices or the hand that I was dealt are the results of divine providence. So, the past must exists only as memories of lost wishes leading to this final note of confidence that I am walking by God's intentional plan for my life. With this revelation, I will say Hallelujah!
For many odd reasons, acceptance is a anomaly that the average humans lack in achievement. An anomaly is an abnormality, a blip on the screen of life that does not fit with the rest of the pattern. So, no matter if you are a male or female, rich or poor, acceptance of an anomaly comes with a selfless price tag. Only after years of failing to achieve a certain accomplishment can one honestly say I accept this or that. The Apostle Paul penned his letter from prison to the Philippines with a thorough explanation of his acceptance of his life that includes various obstacles that led to his utimate imprisonment and later to his demise. Can you imagine sitting your last days in confinement knowing that you are innocent of any wrong doing. Yet, Paul was so confident of his faith that he announced that if he kept living it will only profit the Philippines but death will profit him.
For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
Philippians 1:21
His thoughts are far from the norm but they are thoughts of a selfless man. Confidently, he recognized God’s providence. He understood every aspect of life occurrence included a bigger plan than the ordinary expectation. His life purpose when he penned this letter centered on living for Christ instead of Christ living for him and his selfish desires. Therefore, each past anomaly that occurred, he saw it as God’s providence. Noticed how the Apostle Paul list several anomalies that occurred in his life to the church at Corinth.
1) Five times I received forty stripes minus one.
2) Three times beaten with rods;
3) Three times I was shipwrecked;
4) Spent a night and day in the depth of the ocean.
II Corinthians 11:24-27 NKJV
Paul’s acceptance when writing his prison letters summons life anomalies where he assures his readers that his life centered on a greater purpose than becoming rich, powerful and famous. His purpose was God’s purpose to fulfill a greater life purpose for the Kingdom. Like Paul, we too must accept what is, let go of what was, and have faith of what is to come. So despite our current situation, we must learn to express a faithful Hallelujah praise knowing that we are living a greater life purpose than ourselves.
