This series is a discussion from the pages of –
Authentic Relationships: Discover the lost art of “one anothering” by Wayne and Clay Jacobsen (ISBN 978-0-8010-6451-7)
Acceptance (A Soft Place to Fall – chapter 3 pg. 41-42)
Therefore, accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory. (Romans 15:7 NLT)
Think about the people with whom you can talk about deep pain. Who are they and why do you go to them? Did your conclusions draw you to words like “listening” and “understanding”? Here is a quote from last week’s blog about what defines a person who is “a soft place to fall”.
“We are a soft place to fall when we love people through their failures and hurts as God draws them closer to Himself and transforms them from within. We will still speak the truth firmly but will do so with gentleness and patience.” (p. 39)
Maybe you are at a loss and no one like this comes to your mind. For many reasons, some of us don’t have safe people in our lives, or we have lost the ability to trust people in general. At New Life Counseling Center, we have created a safe environment; we are a soft place to fall. Helping people through deep hurts and painful times is why we exist. If you need a soft place to fall please call us.
The mission of New Life Counseling Center is to make a positive difference in the lives of children, youth, and adults in the South Lafourche community by providing faith based counseling and resources for substance abuse, anger management, anxiety, depression, grief, marital and parenting problems, stress, and spiritual issues.
Now, what about you, are you a safe person for hurting people to be around? Or, do you tend to have all the answers, mixed in with what you feel is righteous judgment and end up just making people feel worse?
May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 15:5-6 NLT)
Accept people just as they are, trusting that God will change them in time. Accepting them as people doesn’t mean you condone their behavior or beliefs. It simply means you respect their humanity enough to let them work through the process. People open their lives to those that accept them the way they are and run from those who are always trying to change them into what they think they should be. (pg. 42-43)
Wrap Up: New Life Counseling Center is a ministry, equipped with professional counselors, inspired and created by God to be a soft place to fall. Acceptance is a fundamental element of who we are. We are here to encourage positive change. Today, I encourage you to live life with one another and celebrate the divine moments when we are touched by God and transformed to be more like Christ.
Next Week: Bearing With One Another (A Soft Place to Fall – Chapter 3 p. 43)
Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. (Ephesians 4:2 NLT)
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