Summary: Over the past four months, we've had to accept a lot of changes because of COVID-19. That, along with whatever else has happened in our lives. Although acceptance can be difficult, we need to learn to do it as graciously.

ACCEPTING THE NEED TO BE ACCEPTING

As we continue to battle the pandemic there are certain things that have happened where people have chosen not to accept certain guidelines. There have been mass gatherings of unmasked people closer than six feet apart. Businesses have reopened although they were not allowed to.

I understand; it's frustrating. We've been dealing with this for four months. People want to be around each other, businesses are losing money so they're panicking; especially the ones that rely on summer tourism. And the restrictions for those who are allowed to reopen are problematic. Our whole lives have become problematic.

I don't want to accept any of it. I want everything to go back to the way it was prior to March. I want the schools to operate normally, I want churches to operate normally. I want summer vacations to happen, amusement parks to open, etc. Well, Derrick, you're just going to have to accept that this is our new norm. I'm doing a fairly decent job at coming to grips with it but some days I just want to scream, "enough, already!"

I don't often enjoy change. Even when it's for the better I can procrastinate. It's the discomfort of getting used to something new. Many times with something new there are issues to work out before things are running smoothly. Although acceptance can be difficult, we need to learn to do it as graciously as possible.

1) I can accept something without liking it.

One of the synonyms for accept is to put up with or endure. This would be the kind of acceptance that receives something without welcoming it. There can be many things that fit into this category. The COVID-19 restrictions, receiving bad news, dealing with certain people or situations that are problematic, etc. Although there will be some things in life I'll need to tolerate, that doesn't mean I have to be miserable in my acceptance of it.

The Serenity Prayer starts out, God grant me the serenity, to accept the things I cannot change. Serenity means tranquility, calmness, peacefulness. Serenity will allow us to accept things without being edgy or combative. I don't have to be happy about it but having serenity means I can be more at peace about accepting the things I need to.

Another word for serenity is composure. If I have composure I'm able to better handle the change I didn't want. The pandemic produced changes we didn't welcome. Who wants to wear a mask everywhere they go? Who wants to keep wondering what's going to happen with their job or their kids' school?

With these unwelcomed changes will come the temptation to panic. That's one of the antonyms for serenity-panic. We need serenity to help us endure through the situations we face without panicking. Serenity will allow us to tolerate life on life’s terms. Serenity allows us to bear with one another.

And we know how we can get that serenity-God. He's the peace during the storm; it's his Spirit that enables us to face unwanted changes.

Think of Job. After he and his wife had received their unwelcomed change, there came a point when she couldn't take it anymore. After losing everything, she now had to look at her husband covered in sores and boils. He would sit among the ashes, scraping himself with pieces of broken pottery to gain some element of relief. His wife wanted it to be over for him.

Job 2:9-10, "His wife said to him, “Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!” He replied, “You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” In all this, Job did not sin in what he said."

It's easy to accept good from God; there's no challenge in that. But to accept trouble? That's something else altogether. Job's wife had a hard time accepting what was happening. I'm not saying Job had an easy time with it, but we see that he was doing a better job at accepting the need to be accepting.

In chapter one, after he lost all his children and his livelihood, it says in vs. 20-22 that he fell to the ground in worship, praised God and didn't accuse him of wrongdoing. He didn't welcome what had happened, but he didn't curse God either. He accepted it and praised him despite it. That's the serenity to accept what he couldn't change.

Another synonym for serenity is contentment. To be content during a pandemic seems ludicrous. How can I be content when everything is out of whack? If we look to God to grant us serenity then we can have peace, contentment, composure and even joy. We need God to grant us serenity so we can accept the things we cannot change.

There is much in life we cannot change. We can't change the weather, we can't change the outcome; we can't change people. One of the reasons we don't like having to accept things is because we don't like not having control.

One of the reasons for that stems from our focus on self. I want this person to change because it will suit me. I want the outcome to be different so I don’t have to deal with the consequences of my actions. I want this to change so I will feel better. So part of acceptance is letting go of self.

Sometimes having the serenity to accept the things I cannot change means I need to stop making it about me. I can accept something without liking it, but if I'm going to be at peace I need to have serenity.

2) Do we need to accept everything?

If we continue to look at the serenity prayer, after asking God to grant us the serenity to accept what we can't change, it says, "the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference." There are things we just need to accept because not accepting them will only make matters worse.

However, there are things we don't have to accept. There are some things that can be changed. However, we need to be careful that the changes we try to make are really for the better. Just because we can change something, doesn't mean we should change it. There's the wisdom to know the difference part.

We should ask ourselves, "who is this change serving? Who will this change affect? Will this change serve the greater purpose? And even if it's something that should be changed, we need to go about it the right way and in the right timing. If there's something that could be changed but we go about it the wrong way we'll mess it up. Or if we're not patient for the right time to change it we'll make matters worse.

Is there anything we should not be accepting of? Sure. I remember a saying when I was young, "don't accept any wooden nickels". Seriously, we shouldn't accept things like injustice or abuse. But we need to be wise in how we respond to the injustices we seek to change. We need courage to change the things we can but having things like rage and malice will not bring change.

We also shouldn't accept any ideas, theories, principles, practices or teachings that go against the bible. However, we do need to accept one's right to have their own opinions and beliefs. I can tolerate your right to have them but I don't have to accept them as valid or true. Paul was dealing with a situation with the Corinthians on this.

2 Cor. 11:3-4, "But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough."

The Corinthians had heard and accepted the gospel. Then they began to tolerate another teaching. And because they were accepting of it, they were being led away from their sincere and pure devotion to Jesus. I'm sure the ones coming to them were making some good arguments.

They probably incorporated Jesus' teachings with the law, trying to validate that one needed to adhere to the law in order to truly be right before God and that it wasn't just about the grace of God. But Paul was clear-the new covenant was about salvation by faith, not by observing the law.

There are teachings today that have some Christian principles but add something else to it; thus presenting another gospel; which is really no gospel at all. I've known people who were baptized in Christ who have put up with such teachings. That's why it's important to grow and become strong in the faith.

Which brings me to another thing we shouldn't accept-mediocrity. Sometimes in life we settle for the marginal, we do the bare minimum. That's how I approached school. When I was in school, I did just enough to get by. I never failed a grade but I wasn't on the honor roll either.

There were options to do some work for extra credit or join after school programs. That wasn't me. I regret that now (sermon last week). I did not have a healthy acceptance to school. Some people have that approach to life. I'll do just enough to get by. I'll do just enough work to keep the boss off my back.

Some people approach Christianity this way. What's the least I can do and stay out of trouble? I'm not staying after church to fellowship or help out. I'll put in my one hour and that's it. I'll go to church on Sunday but not on Wednesday. I'm not joining any groups, doing any projects or outreach. My bible comes out on Sunday only. I'll only pray when I'm in trouble or if I want something.

To have the attitude of just doing the bare minimum is not good. To accept this level of mediocre devotion for ourselves is a problem. It shows we don't care enough to give God more. If you remember the parable of the talents, what did Jesus say to the one who buried his? He called him a wicked, lazy servant.

In Hebrews 5:12 the Christians were chastised for not being further along than they currently were. The writer said by this time they should've have been teachers but instead they still needed to be taught the elementary things of the faith. As the passage goes on it is revealed that the writer is concerned about them falling away.

He ends the passage with Heb. 6:12, "We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised." In verse 11 he said he wanted them to be diligent to the very end. Accepting a mediocre walk, being okay with just getting by is not only lazy; it's dangerous.

There are some things we need to accept, even though we may not want to. But then there are some things we should not accept, even though we may want to accept them. Having the courage to change the things I can includes the changes that need to be made within ourselves.

3) What should we accept?

We should accept the gospel. When Peter preached the gospel at Pentecost, he told the people they needed to repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of sins and they would receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Afterwards, there was a wonderful response.

Acts 2:41, “Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day." Some other synonyms for accept are believe and agree to. The people believed what Peter was saying; they agreed that what Peter said they needed to do was valid in order to be saved.

The main reason they could accept Peter's message was because they knew it came from God and therefore, it was the truth. Paul told the Thessalonians in 1 Thess. 2:13, "And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe."

That's how someone really submits to the truth that they're a sinner in need of forgiveness. They've heard the gospel and have accepted it as the word of God, not the ideas of men. But when a person who hears the gospel responds with, "well, that's nice for you" or "that's your opinion" they will never accept the gospel because they will only see it as your truth, not the truth.

We should accept the Christian whose faith is weak. Rom. 14:1-3, "Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. One man’s faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him."

Chapter 14 deals with food certain Christians viewed as unclean and celebrating certain religious days and such. Although God had declared all food clean and Paul talked about not letting people judge you because of not celebrating certain days and such, there were some Christians who still felt the need to adhere to some of the Jewish standards and traditions.

Paul wanted the church to be understanding of those who were weak in these areas. When someone was coming out of Judaism into Christianity they might still be attached to certain traditions of the Jewish faith. The ones who were stronger in the faith may have chastised them for it, perhaps even questioning the legitimacy of their conversion.

Paul wanted them to be understanding and accept where they were at. Instead of criticizing and rebuking them, accept the things that are disputable and seek to gently instruct and win them over with patience and love.

Likewise, today when someone converts to Christianity, it might be hard for them to break away from certain traditions they were practicing. Unless those practices are in direct violation of scripture, we who are stronger in the faith should be accepting and patient with them about it.

We can try to talk to them regarding what scripture says about it. Hopefully, as they allow the Holy Spirit to instruct them, they will come to accept that these practices are unnecessary and perhaps unhealthy.

And we see that we should accept them because God has accepted them. In the next chapter Paul said this is Rom. 15:7, "Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God." We can accept people as they come because God accepted us as we came to him.

We see communicated here the law of love. We're not legalistic; we're loving. We're not demanding; we're patient. We're not intolerant; we're accepting. This is how we are to approach each other and this is how we are to approach life. We can accept life as it comes because God has accepted us. We are his and he'll watch over us.

We should accept our lot in life. Ecc. 5:18-20, "Then I realized that it is good and proper for a man to eat and drink, and to find satisfaction in his toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given him—for this is his lot. Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work—this is a gift of God. He seldom reflects on the days of his life, because God keeps him occupied with gladness of heart."

We can spend a lot of time complaining. We complain about our jobs, our house, our lives. We complain about the things we don't have. Whether it's intentional or not, we're really complaining that God hasn't done anything about it. If I'm complaining I'm not being very accepting. I'm not being very appreciative, either.

Accepting my lot in life doesn't mean we shouldn't try to improve on our situation but the idea is to be accepting of what God has given us. This is being content and as I said earlier, contentment is a synonym for serenity.

It's interesting that Solomon says we are to find satisfaction in our toilsome labor. Those two words don't seem like they should go together, do they-toilsome and satisfaction? But if we look at our toilsome labor with appreciation, then we will find satisfaction in it.

I'll find satisfaction in God giving me the strength and ability to do the job. We'll be satisfied that we have an income. And I'll have the satisfaction of knowing I have the opportunity to be a witness for Christ through my work ethic and maybe my testimony.

I can accept my lot in life when my life is about pleasing God. I will see the good things he gives me as blessings; I'll be satisfied in my enjoyment of them. In fact, the NASB uses the word reward in place of lot. I can accept my portion when I know that God loves me and blesses me and he wants to use me during the few days I have here.

One of the problems with not being accepting is that it robs us of the gladness of heart. I may have the ability to improve my situation but that doesn't mean I can't be content until that change happens. If I'm not content where I'm at, I probably won't be if something better comes along.

There are many things in life we need to accept. Let's try to be more accepting of our need to be more accepting.