By: Pastor Jarren Rogers

“Stop seeking the approval of humans. Man doesn’t control your destiny or eternity. Please God and if humans aren’t pleased with that it’s their problem, not yours.” – Tony Gaskins

Good grief. I care too much what people think.

Maybe you’re in the same boat. It may seem that in everything you do, you look to others for validation. You might find yourself constantly concerned about what others think of you or your performance. You try to balance doing what’s right with making people like you. You walk the thin line between living a Christian life and not stepping on any toes.

Let me try to relieve some of the strain in both of our circumstances.

You need to stop caring about the approval of others.

Some people just simply aren’t going to give you the validation you seek. Others will never be satisfied with any decision you make. Some people just want to sit by and watch you fail and will judge anything you do as a misstep on your part.

It’s in these moments that I encourage you to take a page out of Paul’s handbook for the Galatians.

“Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ” (Galatians 1:10).

Paul’s not in the game to please people, only to please God. He goes so far as to say that in order to truly be a servant of Christ, you cannot work for the approval of humans.

The approval of humans sometimes won’t line up with the will of God. In fact, most of the time the God’s plan contradicts what most people would approve of. If you are following God’s will for your life there will probably be dissension. There will be people who will work against you, frown on you, talk bad about you, discourage you, work to make you fail, and they will shout their disapproval at every turn.

Why?

Because God doesn’t want you to work for the approval of other people. He only wants you to work for the approval of Himself.

Parents: Share this verse with your children. Ask them to share with you some of the things they do in order to gain other people’s approval. Share some things that you do in order to gain other’s approval. Tell them that they don’t need the approval of humans, only of God.