06/22/2021
I closed the computer. If only I could also close the 10,000 tabs open in my mind — each one telling me I had failed somehow, some way, somebody.
If only I could shut down the urgency to correct people’s perceptions of me, to “set them straight” in their assumptions! If only I could run away from difficult relationships, hard-to-have conversations and that needling feeling that I won’t ever measure up to what people expect.
The constant noise is exhausting. And that’s just inside my head.
We struggle beneath the weight of their expectations and disapproval.
We become discouraged when God calls us to a life significantly different than a peer’s. For many of us, following Jesus is a daily choice between serving the opinions of people and serving our Father God.
This is why Jesus is our example. Never once did He make a decision for human approval. And never once did He stop loving those same, hurtful humans. He lived in the incredible tension of God’s leading and God’s love. He was committed to obeying the Father, which inevitably resulted in disappointment for some of His followers.
Jesus obeyed God’s leading on His life, and because of His obedience, we get to be called children of God. I am so grateful He did not lose heart! What a reminder when I get weary and broken down by this world: He was consistent even unto death. I’ve not been asked to die for my world. But I have been asked to die to myself. (Galatians 2:20) Will I lay down my need for human approval so I can run this race well?
Endurance can only be cultivated by facing hard things. Sometimes opposition comes in the form of real persecution, such as many of our brothers and sisters experience around the world. And sometimes opposition comes in the form of disapproval or guilt from the people around us. Christ is our Approver — and because of Him, we can stay alert. We can be strong-hearted. We can run the race.
-Phylicia Masonheimer
How can you seek the approval of Christ instead of your peers today?
