‘All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding. God has now revealed to us his mysterious will regarding Christ—which is to fulfill his own good plan. And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth. Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan. God’s purpose was that we Jews who were the first to trust in Christ would bring praise and glory to God. And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.’ Ephesians 1:3-14(NLT)
I allowed fear of rejection to hold me captive for far too long. It hindered my relationships, complicated my choices, and, for a time, nearly caused me to lose sight of who God created me to be. In my efforts to please others, I was constantly striving to earn their approval.
When my husband and I were first married, this tendency led to quite an unexpectedly mortifying evening that has since imprinted itself as one of my most hilarious memories. Whoever said, “You cannot be overdressed” never attended a cowboy function hosted in a barn while wearing a gown some mistook for a wedding dress. I was a victim to ignorance. As a Nebraska transplant, when I heard “the Cattle Baron’s Ball,” my mind latched onto “ball” and images from Cinderella danced through my head.
I arrived to this boot-wearing, line-dancing event looking like a Disney-princess-wanna-be. Surrounded by men and women in jeans and boots, my desire to impress, to fit in, immediately morphed into an urge to go home. I was mortified and certain everyone I encountered would long remember my rather … remarkable entrance.
Face hot, I tugged on my husband’s sleeve, saying through gritted teeth, “I’m embarrassed and I want to go home.” He responded by pulling me into a firm and protective embrace. “Who cares what anyone thinks. You’re with me,” he said.
For decades now, God has been telling me the same thing. When I accept a new responsibility and feel ill-equipped and out of place, God gently whispers to my heart, “Who cares what anyone thinks. You belong to Me.” When I say things I regret and worry my sin will turn others away, God pulls me close and says, “I purchased you with my blood; You belong to Me, and I love you when you’re faithful and when you fail.”
When my desire to please others, to gain their respect, threatens to enslave me, God patiently points me to the cross, saying, “You are priceless and adored, not because of anything you’ve done, but because I, your Creator, chose you.”
I’ve had numerous guffaws since my pumps-in-the-sawdust night, but my blunders don’t sting quite like they used to, nor am I so fearful of other people’s opinions. I now know my value doesn’t lie in what I wear or how I act but, rather, in Who I belong to.
I am God’s. He formed me, saved me, redeemed and restored me, and knows me by name. When I anchor myself in Christ, my hunger for other people’s approval dies. You belong to God as well. When fear of rejection threatens to hold you captive, I pray you’ll remember and hold tight to that truth.
~Jennifer Slattery
from Faith Over Fear