Misplaced Approval

“If you are still waiting for validation from another, you will probably not get ahead in life. ” Is this one of those easier said than done statements? I mean, almost everyone if not all of us have had some kind of episode where we needed someone’s approval. It may have been directly or indirectly, but I can bet you that you once did. I know I have.

It goes all the way back: Adam, needing to please his woman, ate of the tree. Abraham, needing the acceptance of Pharaoh, lied about Sarah being his wife. Aaron –the golden calf, Samson – Delilah, Saul –offered sacrifices to please the people even though it wasn’t his turf. Even after the resurrection of Christ, we see spirit-filled Peter avoiding the gentiles to please the Jews. The list is endless. Oh, it is not just in Bible times, even today we are faced with the same problem. A lot of us do things just to please others, or we do not do things because so and so won’t like it. It appears to be even worse with the rise of social media. I need not give examples because I know you have already started imagining what I am talking about.

On the other side of things, a question is asked – does a person really need another’s approval to do things? Idols – the singing competition shows you a number of people who probably went ahead and entered the competition believing that they can sing despite being disapproved (hopefully someone said something to them before) by their friends or family. Where do we draw the line in this approval thing?

A lot can be said on this topic, people have written books on this issue. It is not something I can compress into five paragraphs, but I just want to say this to answer my opening question – it is an easier said than done statement. This is because I believe man has been built to need approval, BUT God’s approval and validation. “Seek first the Kingdom – and all these things shall be added”. “Do I now seek to please men or God? If I am yet to please man then I cannot be a servant of God”

A lot of us have a misplaced need of approval. The Bible talks about it a lot, as “the fear of man rather than God” We care so much about what others say than what God says.  Do you think, that if you wholeheartedly cared only about what God says about your life, that He would lead you to doing things you aren’t good at and are outside your life’s purpose? So, many of us are filling up that void by seeking approval from fellow men instead of anchoring our lives on God’s approval. If we genuinely do so, we would have fewer people rendering eye service to please people, and more rendering an authentic inner service that pleases God.