What a great message this morning at Browns Bridge Community Church by Ben Crawshaw (alias Mr. Takeout as many of us with kids may know him). If you're in the area, check out the "Solomon Says" series July 12, 19, 26 at Browns Bridge, Northpoint or Buckhead church. So many folks struggle with "Approval" and have struggled for years. Ben pointed out a great verse in Proverbs 29:25 that explains "To fear anyone will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe [TNIV]". Don't you just love Proverbs...short, sweet and right to the point. The "need for approval" is often fueled by a fear of rejection and as the verse says, is simply a trap. We end up doing things we might not do because we crave that approval so much and in the end, it was never worth the sacrifice of our conscience. I've fallen in the approval trap more times than I care to admit and I'm sure you have as well. Feeling and experiencing the approval of others in not wrong in and of itself, in fact, it feels great but you'll never fill that "need" of acceptance and approval on your own. Jesus Christ, through His death, burial and resurrection, has already accepted you "in Christ". As a believer, you have God's approval and acceptance right now apart from anything you can or ever will do. As Proverbs 29:25 continues, "whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe". Are you trusting Him for your approval and acceptance? Will you choose the truth that you have nothing more to prove to God since Jesus did it all on your behalf (unless you think you can add something Jesus forgot or failed to accomplish)? As you start to wrap your brain around this truth your "need" to chase approval from others will start to diminish. Right now allow Christ to transform you from chasing approval to receiving His love.
