October 12 – Are You Seeking Approval?

I’m not interested in crowd approval. And do you know why? Because I know you and your crowds. I know that love, especially God’s love, is not on your working agenda. I came with the authority of my Father, and you either dismiss me or avoid me. If another came, acting self-important, you would welcome him with open arms. How do you expect to get anywhere with God when you spend all your time jockeying for position with each other, ranking your rivals and ignoring God? But don’t think I’m going to accuse you before my Father. Moses, in whom you put so much stock, is your accuser. If you believed, really believed, what Moses said, you would believe me. He wrote of me. If you won’t take seriously what he wrote, how can I expect you to take seriously what I speak? John 5:41-47 (The Message)

Jesus came to the Jews—to the whole world, but to the Jews first. They for the most part rejected Him—so He turned His attention to the Gentiles. Do you sometimes feel rejected, too? You may try to live a good life, treating others kindly and honestly, and then they reject you. Are you seeking other’s approval? Jesus said He wasn’t interested in crowd approval—but He does seek the approval of one person—one person at a time. That person is you…and me. Each individually. He wants a relationship with each of us—not with a whole crowd at once. Don’t be part of that group that dismisses or avoids Jesus.

How do you establish a “relationship” with Jesus, you may ask? Well, for starters, you need to ask Him to be part of your life. Ask Him to forgive you for your sins. He actually has already died on the cross for those sins, so it’s only polite to ask Him to take those sins away and forgive you. Then learn all you can about Him. Reading the red letter words—His words—in the Bible is a good next step. By reading His word, you’ll begin to renew your mind like Paul taught in Romans. So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. Romans 112:1-2 (The Message) Be changed from the inside out! Other translations may say “renewing your mind.”

It is also important to pray—read and pray. Those go hand in hand. Jesus likes to hear His words prayed back to Him. Let Him know what’s bothering you… Be sure to praise Him and thank Him for the answered prayers, victories, and blessings that He gives you day by day, moment by moment. You can never pray too much—He always has an open ear. Seeking His approval is a good thing, rather than seeking the approval of those around you. Don’t avoid Him—let Him be your friend. He’s the best friend that anyone could ever have.

Dear Jesus—Thank you for being our friend, for taking away our sins, and even now for renewing our minds that we would please you. If we ever seem like we are avoiding you—please get our attention and help us to see ourselves as you see us.

© 2012 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.