“He made us accepted in the Beloved.” Ephesians 1:6 Do you condemn yourself because you aren’t as spiritual as you think you ought to be? Do you see yourself as a second-rate disciple, lacking gifts and graces possessed by fellow believers who seem to be models of prayer, witness, and service? We can rise above the mood of self-rejection and enjoy grateful self-acceptance when we put our lives into the nail-pierced hands of Jesus. If the Lord has accepted us, surely we can accept ourselves. Accepting Jesus’ free gift of salvation frees us to accept ourselves.