Acceptance and Popularity

Why does acceptance and popularity play such an important role in our lives?

I have been reading, reviewing and throwing away old journals and pictures of my childhood as my father prepares to move after twenty years.  Pictures of youth always bring back such vivid memories: faces of old neighborhood friends, schoolmates, and photos of teachers and mentors.

These chronicles also bring back a flood of emotions:  Remembering my first date and the nervousness of the situation, or catching a string of crappies and sharing the excitement with my father.  We all have these memories and emotions stored somewhere, and my mother (much to my father's chagrin) choose to use mounds of boxes stored in the basement to capture them.

Also stored amid this clutter, however, was a reminder of an important lesson learned in both middle-school and high school which has shaped my life ever since: the futility of popularity and acceptance.

Acceptance in my life was the proverbial carrot in front of me as I entered middle school.  If well-liked, than I would be cool and hang out with the 'In' crowd.  Instead of making fun of me, kids would be making fun of other people.  Instead of being harassed on the bus, neighbors would ask me to sit next to them.  When picking teams, students would pick me to be on their team first as opposed to last.

As I entered high school, college, and even my working career, the desire for acceptance and popularity changed.  In part because of my marriage to my beautiful wife and her love for me (which I still find unbelievable), but mostly due to maturing in my relationship with Christ.

I began to understand that the sum of my actions on earth should be a reflection of Christ's love, if indeed I am going to call myself a Christian.  If that's true, then my identity and acceptance is automatically given by God's grace (Galations 2:20).  

We all have a basic need for acceptance, which is innate.  The deeper meaning of this lesson though is that regardless if you are an awkward adolscent, a confused or misplaced college student or maybe even a widow in their golden years, God will always accept you.  Because of the heroic and sacrificial life of his son Jesus, faith and trust in Him restores us back into the 'In crowd' forever.

Grace and Peace,

PLW