Imagine how different family, friends-circles, work, church, communities - all of it - would feel if instead of holding one another to impossible standards of gob-smacking beauty, the eternal physical youthfulness of an Adonis, the infallible mental quickness of Loki and Einstein combined , and bank accounts that would make Elon Musk’s jaw drop - what if the only standard we held one another to was that of basic good character.

So many of us are running around drowning in a sea of insufficiency. It’s exhausting. It’s merciless. There is no way to move forward - and it seems like the only thing left to do is give up - so we walk around frustrated with those God’s given life at this time to share this hurtling ball of rock with us. But in my experience the vast majority of people are frustrated with themselves.

So today’s gift is the gift of acceptance.

You were highly prized by Jesus - to the point of Him not shrinking from His work on the cross - before you ever even drew a breath, before you even appreciated what He’d done, and certainly before you could torture and contort yourself into “becoming worthy” of His work - a thoroughly unattainable goal.

As if all this Sisyphean struggle against the unattainable could accomplish any of the good we hope for. But worse than that insult is the fact that it actually leaves us disrespecting what it is about each of us that best reveals God’s thumbprint of craftsmanship in us - that thing about us that no one else has that makes - well - you the amazing you that you are to all those who just love being around you. That thing you do when you laugh, the way you care, the ability you have to solve that kind of problem as easily as you do. The way you make that amazing dish. The way you tell that joke.

If Jesus can deem us worthy of saving while we were still hostile (Read Romans dude!) then how can we keep going around refusing to accept ourselves? If we can’t bother to accept ourselves, how in the world will we ever accept anyone else? If we’re all running around slashed up, hurt and disheartened because we don’t accept ourselves or accept anyone else’s acceptance of us - attempting to live up to the one measure of goodness that is timeless - namely basic character.

So - be your wonderful, goofy, quirky, awesome weird-O self. FULLY! And you’ll find it far, far easier to be your best self too. After all - if Jesus deems us worthy of His grace - by what logic will you argue with Him? And good character - is attainable. Not only is it attainable - but it’s the path to all the good things we all want most all year long - not just on Christmas morning.