Christian Living

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Do You Accept Your Re-Birth?
© 2006

by

Stephen A. Peterson


Debra, a 16 years old, had waged a lifelong battle with weight throughout her young life. Diets weren’t successful. Medication didn’t work. Nor did months of psychotherapy.

In desperation, Debra sat down with her parents who consulted their family physician about what could be done to control and reduce her weight. After many tests, meetings and discussions with other experts, bypass surgery was suggested. At first, Debra was unsure about any sort of medical procedures that would alter her body. Understanding her concerns, her family doctor recommended her and her parents to a specialist. Following additional tests, the operation was performed.

Debra did beautifully. The nurses and doctors praised her as did her parents and friends. However, although she was slim and trim, maintained a healthy diet and exercise program, Debra still thought of herself as ugly and unattractive. Her response baffled her parents. No matter how often they told her how beautiful she was, she rejected their statements as untruthful and biased. Debra’s therapist told her that she would not be completely healed, inwardly or outwardly until she had the courage to look at her new self. For to look at herself meant to see the new person she had become—and to accept her unconditionally and wholeheartedly.

There cam the day Debra saw herself while shopping for an Oklahoma State University Cowboy cap for her older brother’s upcoming birthday at the Eskimo Joe’s clothing store in Shawnee. “I was out shopping at Eskimo Joe’s” she recounted with enthusiasm and joy, “and I glanced in their window. My eye caught the reflection of a really nice looking person. The realized it was me!!! I was shocked! I couldn’t believe the new person I had become.” The burden of self-loathing and shame was immediately gone to accept what she had become.

Debra’s experiences and story has a special message. That is, many, if not the vast majority of humankind’s people wage lifelong battles with self- reputation, various temptations, and trying to “find themselves”. Any every time God comes along with what we need to overcome what separates us from Him and give us victory; we reject His free gifts as though they come with conditions of some sort. But, as with Debra, we make things difficult because we do not want to look at our new self to realize that we have been re-born through what Jesus Christ did for every living person! We do not want to joyfully accept God’s free, unconditional gift of grace and the miracle of rebirth.

We try desperately to try to obtain salvation on our own accord then wonder why we are dissatisfied with God and Christianity—we lack a relationship that we otherwise would have if we but check ourselves out in His Scripture to what we have become. We will then see that we have become a beautiful, fully acceptable person Jesus promised can never be taken or loss. It’s that easy!

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