Looking For Approval?

Have you ever gone on a blind date? You carefully pick out an outfit that compliments you. You make sure every hair is in place. You make sure you smell right. The list goes on and on for the endless efforts we make to meet others approval. We script out our conversations to make sure we wear the right mask for others. We often tell ourselves countless lies to make sure they sound believable. But think of how much effort it takes to keep up those lies and to make sure we cover those lies with more lies. We supply a mask for everyone to see and to like. But what we fail to realize is that the very things we're seeking approval on have already been loved and approved by God. He knows our good, bad, and our ugly. And the beauty of it all is that He already accepts and embraces us, despite all our faults and shortcomings.

What we don't find out until later is that the more we're honest with ourselves, the easier it is to be honest with others and that gives us more freedom to be genuine. God already knows our tendencies to lie and be deceitful, but His goal for us is to be transparent with ourselves and those around us so that others can learn to walk in His path.

The Bible tells us, “Accept one another then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.” Romans 15:7 If we learn accept our own truths, we'll be able to accept others truths, just as Christ accepts us. By doing this, we're given true freedom and our walk with Him gets easier.