The Power of Acceptance and Rejection

DREAMS are powerful representations of our inner psychic worlds and they can communicate much to us if we’re ready to listen.

One recent morning I woke up, and, having not slept well previous nights, I found myself having dreamt vividly. I dreamt that I had accepted minor parties I’m in relationship with over the more major parties I truly care about. Sometimes, in trying to achieve a balance, especially in competing relationships, we overstep our focus on one party more than the other. I think this was the case for me, not that I wanted to take any ‘side’. The party receiving less attention could have been expected to feel a little rejected.

Having had my dream, I enquired of God, what could this mean?

The Lord said to me, “Never forget your roots, Steve. Acceptance is an issue for you for a reason: it’s because it’s an issue for everyone. Everyone must be loved. Everyone must receive acceptance, for anything less given has hints of rejection in it. Do you hear me?” he said.

Then I thought, acceptance is about safety; that everyone would feel safe in our presence.

It’s probably safe to say that acceptance and rejection are the two great powers within relational living.

We know that it is a biblical prospect that everyone deserves acceptance. Indeed, we are commanded to accept people; to forgive unreservedly, despite the difficulty in matters like that.

Having dreamt a dream and having made the connection I felt compelled to repent; to reach out to a few people—some within my own family—to try and even the ledger. We can only try. We can only discern what the Spirit is saying to us and then make amends however we can. It’s all that God could expect us to do. And we need to accept that at times we can’t make amends.

And we shrink and cringe at the thought that someone might feel somewhat rejected because of how we interacted with them. But in reality, we cannot demonstrate complete acceptance and unconditional love without imperfections bearing their way over our love, tarnishing its effect.

The power of acceptance and rejection is a power making and breaking life. We all need to be loved and feel we belong. It’s the most powerful force in all of life. God commands us to accept everyone, as people—it’s not about what they do or don’t do. If God loves them (and he does) so must we.

Many are somewhat made and many are somewhat broken, just as many are made and many are broken. And it is better put that we are all somewhat made and somewhat broken.

What we need to know, and accept, is the power we have in our accepting people and our rejection of it. As we show we accept people we love them, just as when we reject people we disobey God.

Rejection of any one person—at the level of their persons—requires repentance.

© 2013 S. J. Wickham.