By Sonia Wirya
I have been battling much of my own insecurities this couple of weeks and I have contemplating a lot about whether it is possible for human beings to accept another fully. And what does it means to love one another.
True acceptance here is to be fully known and loved by another.
Yes, I do trust and I do know that such is possible. With God, we are fully known and fully loved. But does such love exist within one another? Is such love even possible? For if I known myself fully, I wouldn’t think that I am lovable.
But towards the end of my seeking an answer to this, I have found that such love is possible, that it is possible for you to fully know and fully love another person, and such true acceptance*comes from *extending grace.
1: By first accepting His grace to you
Understanding that He fully knows you, even more than you know yourself, yet He still loves you (which is why it is said that there is no greater love than His love for us, fully known yet loved by Him)
2: And then extending this same grace to yourself
This is a concept that was hard for me to grasp, and time and time again He has proven His love to me, His love enabled me to feel worthy of His love. Not because of what I have done but simply because He loves. And His love and full acceptance of me (for no human being, when true to oneself will ever think that he/ she is lovable, we are sinners and we are often too hard on ourself).
When we choose to extend the same grace to ourself, we’re able to find Self-Love.
3: And out of that, you will have the capacity to love others
And then you extend that same grace to others. This is what will enable you to love another and to let another love you.
When you are convinced that God loves you, you accept that you are lovable, you then become convinced that you are worthy of accepting the love of another and extending the same kind of love.
This will allow a chance for people to be vulnerable, to come to light to one another, and for relationships to grow. Because any form of relationship requires vulnerability. When there is no vulnerability, there’s no chance for any relationship to grow. But with Christ and in Christ, there’s a basis of full acceptance. To know that the other person is capable of fully knowing and fully loving you, brings much comfort and provides all the basis, the safety net for one to open up. This is why friendships and relationships that are based in Christ, tends to be the most vulnerable, open and yields great bond, because there is a commitment and a possibility of to fully accepting and loving the other
“Daily fight for vulnerability” because with it, you enable relationships to grow, and with it you become transparent enough to allow God’s great works within you to be visible to others, through your cracks
Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another - John 13:34
That’s the call of love that Christ has given us. Fully known and fully loved, by Him, and to “fully know and be known” requires vulnerability. Because true love is when you are known yet loved (you are loved inspite of your lackings)
Blessings to you,
Sonia Wirya was a part second Leadership Cohort in Jakarta. She has a degree in accounting and finance, but now works handling market strategies and rebranding in a company in Jakarta.