When Approval Becomes an Addiction (Up)

Read The Daily:
“Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you.” – John 17:1

We all crave approval. Whether we’re scrolling through Instagram comparing our unfiltered lives to someone else’s highlight reel, or grinding harder at work or school just to get a nod of recognition, we’re ultimately chasing the same thing: acceptance. And that’s when this appetite for approval starts to own us. It sneaks in quietly, and before we know it, we’re constantly asking ourselves: “Am I good enough?” “Do I have what it takes?” “Would anyone still like me if they knew the real me?”

And here’s what’s wild—this is exactly the game the enemy wants to play. One of Satan’s temptations to Jesus was this: “Jump, and prove you’re really the Son of God.” In other words, “Do something impressive so people know who you are.” Sound familiar? The enemy does the same thing to us. Prove your worth. Show them you matter. Be louder. Be better. Get their approval. But if you live for approval, you’ll die from rejection.

If you live for approval, you’ll die from rejection

The problem with chasing approval is that we’re always one “unlike,” one bad day, or one missed opportunity away from feeling like we don’t measure up. But Jesus didn’t live that way—and neither should we. He didn’t perform for approval. He moved from it. He knew who He was and who He belonged to. That’s the freedom of the Spirit life—where we don’t earn God’s acceptance; we live from it. His love is the starting line, not the finish line.

The Self life says: “Prove you’re worthy.”
The Jesus (Spirit) life says: “You’re already approved by God”

You don’t have to keep performing. You don’t need to prove anything. You’re already chosen. You’re already loved. And the applause of heaven is louder than anything this world could offer. So take a breath, step out of the rat race, and start living FROM the approval of God—not FOR the approval of people.  Sounds much nicer…doesn’t it?

Prayer for the Day

God what are you  showing me?  What am I going to do about it?
God help me to see one person that I can serve through a kind word, random act of kindness, or simple gift today?
Make sure you complete the reading or comment today.

Read The New Testament In A Year

4 x 6 Plan | Read: Mark 7:14-30 & 1 Corinthians 14:13-25

Then Jesus called to the crowd to come and hear. “All of you listen,” he said, “and try to understand. It’s not what goes into your body that defiles you; you are defiled by what comes from your heart.”Then Jesus went into a house to get away from the crowd, and his disciples asked him what he meant by the parable he had just used. “Don’t you understand either?” he asked. “Can’t you see that the food you put into your body cannot defile you? Food doesn’t go into your heart, but only passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer.” (By saying this, he declared that every kind of food is acceptable in God’s eyes.) And then he added, “It is what comes from inside that defiles you. For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you.” Then Jesus left Galilee and went north to the region of Tyre. He didn’t want anyone to know which house he was staying in, but he couldn’t keep it a secret. Right away a woman who had heard about him came and fell at his feet. Her little girl was possessed by an evil spirit, and she begged him to cast out the demon from her daughter. Since she was a Gentile, born in Syrian Phoenicia, Jesus told her, “First I should feed the children—my own family, the Jews. It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs.” She replied, “That’s true, Lord, but even the dogs under the table are allowed to eat the scraps from the children’s plates.” “Good answer!” he said. “Now go home, for the demon has left your daughter.” And when she arrived home, she found her little girl lying quietly in bed, and the demon was gone.  Mark 7:14-30

So anyone who speaks in tongues should pray also for the ability to interpret what has been said. For if I pray in tongues, my spirit is praying, but I don’t understand what I am saying. Well then, what shall I do? I will pray in the spirit, and I will also pray in words I understand. I will sing in the spirit, and I will also sing in words I understand. For if you praise God only in the spirit, how can those who don’t understand you praise God along with you? How can they join you in giving thanks when they don’t understand what you are saying? You will be giving thanks very well, but it won’t strengthen the people who hear you. I thank God that I speak in tongues more than any of you. But in a church meeting I would rather speak five understandable words to help others than ten thousand words in an unknown language. Dear brothers and sisters, don’t be childish in your understanding of these things. Be innocent as babies when it comes to evil, but be mature in understanding matters of this kind. It is written in the Scriptures: “I will speak to my own people through strange languages and through the lips of foreigners. But even then, they will not listen to me,” says the LORD. So you see that speaking in tongues is a sign, not for believers, but for unbelievers. Prophecy, however, is for the benefit of believers, not unbelievers. Even so, if unbelievers or people who don’t understand these things come into your church meeting and hear everyone speaking in an unknown language, they will think you are crazy. But if all of you are prophesying, and unbelievers or people who don’t understand these things come into your meeting, they will be convicted of sin and judged by what you say. As they listen, their secret thoughts will be exposed, and they will fall to their knees and worship God, declaring, “God is truly here among you.”  1 Corinthians 14:13-25

Read More – Bible Project Overviews: Mark, 1 Corinthians