Is it someone?
Is it something?
I want to admit something to you. I do not always find my greatest happiness in the right place. I look for joy in other things and in other people, rather than finding it in the One who gave me this life in the first place. My jubilation is conditional in the people around me. If people make me happy than I am happy, if people bring me down than my day usually doesn't go as well. I put a ton of weight on others people's shoulders that are not even aware of the responsibility I have given them.
Not only is this not fair to an oblivious person, it is downright sinful. My high expectations are put on sinful people. People who struggle daily with sin just like I do. People who haven't necessarily done anything wrong, they just haven't done it, like I wanted them to do it, or they haven't done it on my behalf.
Galatians 1:10 says this:
"For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ."
Read that verse carefully and think about it yourself. This verse is something I'm trying to engrave on my heart right now. I want others to like me. I want others to trust me. I want others to "approve" of me.
Paul writes this in response to some people who believe the words he is sharing our not received from God but from man. This is the same man that wrote in Romans 1 that he wasn't "ashamed of the gospel..." and that it was available for "everyone who believes" (:16).
Paul's not looking for praise from anybody. The only thing he cares about, is that other's will understand what Jesus has done for them.
Why do we get so caught up in other's approval? Why do I care SO MUCH what others think about me? I have a God who loves me.
In my devotions this morning I read from John 14. In verse 21 Jesus says this:
"Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him."
My significance must be found in Jesus Christ. He doesn't care how many Facebook friends I have or how many people I follow on Twitter. Jesus doesn't care what team I root for or what players I played in Fantasy Football. Jesus doesn't even care how much money I make or the number of people I see everyday.
THE ONLY THING THAT MATTERS TO CHRIST IS THAT I LOVE HIM!!!
Now this love isn't stagnant. I don't just shout out "I Love You!" and be done with it.
Love is a pursuit to be more and more like Christ. To understand that I need Him, to understand that He is my all. To let others know that they will never fill that void of insignificance without Christ and understand the beauty of what He did for us on the cross.
I am a work in progress. I continue to struggle with the sin of approval in others. I would appreciate your prayers in this.
Thank you for reading!
