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But just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak. Not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts. - 1 Thessalonians 2:4
“Seeking God's approval above man's approval begins every day the moment that we wake up. We need to start our day surrendering our lives to Him. In the same manner, we need to end our days with thankfulness and reflection on our love for God and His approval.”
Have you ever given gifts before and expected a great response of glee and thankfulness? It's possible that we've all experienced this desire to receive appreciation for our generosity.
Sometimes, we set our expectations on someone's response, rather than simply being happy to give. However, giving a gift out of the goodness of your heart is incredibly rewarding, even if you expect nothing in return, not even a thank you. It's challenging, but it's okay; you're giving for the sake of giving.
Psalm 112:4-5 and 9 express that light shines in the darkness for the godly. They are generous, compassionate, and righteous. Good comes to those who lend money generously and conduct their business fairly. They share freely and give generously to those in need. Their good deeds will be remembered forever, and they will have influence and honor.
Giving as the Lord leads is all we need to do. Pleasing God is better than receiving thanks from man.
If you have social media and you make a post, are there a few people you know are going to like your post because they are your people and they like everything you do? But then they don’t like the post you did today... does that make you feel a certain way? Does it make you question what you posted? Do you only post for the response?
We often expect something from others to help us feel better. However, we don’t need to rely on others to fulfill our needs; we can look to God.
Often, we find ourselves craving those likes, regardless of our age, because we are placing our attention on them instead of on God.
John 12:42-43 highlights this struggle: "Yet, at the same time, many even among the leaders believed in Jesus. But because of the Pharisees, they would not openly acknowledge their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved human praise more than praise from God."
It can be such a fine line, can't it? I used to post things a lot more than I do now because I unknowingly wanted the likes. I wanted to be seen. Now, after questioning my reasoning, I don’t really see the point in posting so much anymore.
We may desire God's approval, but often, seeking approval from others brings instant gratification, which can feel better in the moment than receiving God's approval.
I used to seek attention. Nothing too extreme, just doing things to get noticed and wanting to be acknowledged. You know, as a kid, you're often loud and constantly asking people to watch you so you feel seen. As I grew older, I didn't seek attention in that particular way as much, but I did it differently. I would go out of my way to help people, almost to a fault. I thought by doing so, I could gain approval because they could see I was doing something helpful.
I would set my expectations on others and feel disappointed when things didn’t turn out as I had hoped. When I didn’t receive the acknowledgment I sought, it made me feel inadequate, as if my worth wasn’t recognized.
This way of thinking was flawed. I had to unlearn that thought process and behavior and turn to God to seek His approval. Once I realized this the wrong way to think, my perspective changed completely. Now, I truly rely on God and do what I feel He is guiding me to do. I've become more discerning in many ways.
Galatians 1:10 speaks to this transformation: "Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant."
I've come to understand that I don’t need the approval of this world; my aim is solely to please God.
Seek God's approval above all.