From My Daily Reading #13: Who’s Approval am I Seeking?

Galatians 1:6-10

We live in a world where people seek approval of their peers.

We want to please others, and be accepted and approved by those around us.

Whether we want to admit it or not, we want to be accepted, agreed with, and to be well thought of.

Social media has only amplified this desire.  Whether we be average ordinary joe, posting occasionally on the platform or our choice, or whether we considers ourselves a social media “influencer”; we all like to see our how many “likes”, “views”, or positive comments we receive on our posts.

Even if we don’t ever use social media, there is a natural desire to be liked, popular, and accepted.

There is a deep seeded desire to be approved of by others.  And many people will often go out of there way to secure the approval of others. Many of us will bend over backwards in our attempt to please others and receive their approval.

Christian, while there is nothing wrong, in of itself, with receiving the approval of man, there is when that desire comes before our desire to seek the approval of God.

The Bible tells us that if we choose the Godly path, the world that does not know and follow Him, will reject us, scorn us, and even hate us.

While we are to be “wise and serpents and harmless as doves”, and while we are to seek to live peaceably as possible with out fellow man, we must never put the desire to be accepted and embraced by others (even other believers) before our desire to be approved by God.

This desire to live peaceably and be approved by others often leads us to water down the truth of the gospel of change our opinions and positions so that we can gain the approval of those who surround our lives.

Paul was teaching the church at Galatia, that He must speak the truth, whether it was popular to do so or not.

He is saying in this verse, I am not even trying to seek to please  others, I seek only to please God.  Because if I seek to please others, I have become the servant of others…instead of answering my calling, to be the servant of God.

We, like Paul, must put aside our desire to get along, fit in, or please others…and live our lives to please and receive the approval of the only one that truly matters…

…Our Lord and our God!