We Already Have the Approval of the One Who Matters
Human nature has always told us that we should strive to make other people happy. It also tells us that we need the approval of others. Society has impressed upon us the need and the desire to make people happy with our choices and decisions. What would this look like if we took our decisions and our desires to God in prayer? Taking them to God instead of to other people for approval? Why is it so important that we receive approval from other people instead of seeking the truth?
When people's approval is more important than the truth you already know, it’s time to change your perspective.
How many times have you made decisions based on how you thought other people might think? How many times have you put your hopes and dreams in a corner? All because they were too big for other people? In my opinion, there is absolutely nothing wrong with recognizing the opinions of others. We must learn to love gracefully but kindly dismiss their falsehood for what we know to be true.
No one‘s approval is required in your life.
You already have the acceptance of Jesus Christ in his blood is the only blood that was shed for you. I don’t see anyone else willing to give their life for you to have free will.If I’m honest, I can admit that in my lifetime, there have been several times where I have always sought the approval of other people instead of focusing on what was most important.
I am a people pleaser. There... I said it!
Instead of first satisfying the desires in the dreams of my own heart, I often put the desires of other people before mine. Generally speaking, this wouldn’t be a problem; however, constantly putting other people first becomes a burden to your own life, which is unhealthy.
The right people will love you for all of you, with no exceptions and no doubts.
Not everyone knows that I lived a life where my presence was seen as a burden to people around me. For this very reason, I celebrate when I see people who are part of my life because I never want them to know the pain I felt in my past. Everyone doesn’t know that I use to cringe when I walked into a crowded room because I was made fun of for most of my life. For this very reason, I am not shy when I walk into a room full of people because I know my self-worth is not held in the hands of a person.
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Not everyone knows that I used to get stared at because of the way I look, how I dressed, how I talked, and how I carried myself. For this reason, my worship is as loud as it can be because God is good, and he has taken me from the deepest, darkest places to the brightest, happiest points in my life. He knows where I have come from because He brought me through them. And although the sun doesn’t always shine bright in my space, I know that tomorrow is another day and that God will always be there to pick me up.
It’s definitely no secret... I am a loud person.
I love to laugh, and I love seeing other people smile. And I love having fun, and people make me happy. The joy I feel when I see my family and friends is something I can’t explain. I try not to care about what others think about my behavior because I am who I am. My genuine friends except me for me. The loud version and the quiet version.When people tell me that I need to be more reserved or that I should tone it down a notch, I must remind myself that not everyone knows what I have walk-through. Not everyone knows what trials God has brought me through and why my praise is so loud.
Our past situations can be just as burdensome.
Not only can people be stifling our hopes and dreams. Past situations can put a damper on our future actions. Born and raised in the Roman Catholic Church, I was afraid of God. I was raised to believe that God was disappointed in me and didn’t deserve his love and affection. My past experiences in the church could have easily shaped my current perspective of a relationship with God.
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” - James 1:2-3 NIV
I was full of self-doubt, I battled with low self-esteem, I never thought I was good enough, and I never thought I would measure up to anything. I thought God hated me and that my sins were unforgivable. Yes, I went to confession with priests, prayed my rosary, and went to private school with nuns and wore a uniform. These things further distorted my views of Christianity. I almost chose to stay in a religious denomination because I was fearful. I was afraid of what other people may think of me and afraid of losing friends and embarrassing my family. Leaving the ways, I was accustomed to serving God to seek true freedom. Having a real relationship with God was important to me.
My decisions and thought process were tied up in being concerned about how other people would react.
Had I allowed my fears of what other people thought of me to determine my future actions, I would not be married again. By grace, God led the way, and He led me to the man God had planned for me all along. If I were to let my fears of being in a relationship and my fears of my past mistakes overwhelm my thoughts, I would be stuck in a rut. Unable to find my way out.