A Reflection On Approval

When I want to be honored by people

One enduring trait of most human beings is that we obsess about the approval of others. We are, more often than we think, shaped by the opinions of those around us. And yet our lives are to be entirely God-directed. When we obsess about others’ opinions, we have a distorted view of reality. We place more stock in something temporal and transient than we do in what is eternal and most worthy. We ignore the truly valuable (the will of God) to pursue an illusion (the approval of human beings). It is an incredibly costly exchange.

Jesus tells us emphatically not to fear people. He urges His followers to think only of God. In any decision we make, we are to consider His character and His plan and ignore the effect our decision might have on our standing in others’ eyes. Do we fear for our self-esteem? His grace will be more than enough to compensate. We are—without compromise—to seek the esteem that comes from serving God rather than the esteem that comes from human approval. Only then will we be in touch with reality.

I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God.

Galatians 1:10