A Little Pride

So this morning I was reading a devotional from Power To Change. The topic was pride, and although initially the devotional did not strike me too hard as I read on I came across these paragraphs and they jumped out at me.


"Too often I find when I write a Bible lesson or teach a workshop, I’ve slipped back into the seeking-approval-mode by judging other’s responses and taking that as God’s reaction. I’m looking to people to give me a grade and am seeking their approval to determine if I did well for God. Instead of asking “Did I do good, God?” I should confidently trust He did great things through me, even if I can’t see the results. Why? Because He chose to use me, not the other way around.

If I have pledged to be His vessel, then my faith should tell me that whatever I do in His name will be worthy and right and fruitful. God (not me) is in control of how it is received. Please don’t get me wrong. Of course we want to please God when we agree to be His vessels. But that should be a thankful response to the fact that He loves us and dwells in us, not the reverse by thinking His love is dependent on what we do. How well we do doesn’t measure God’s love for us. The next verse gives the way we should respond each time God chooses to use us -"

I think it's so easy sometimes to seek approval from others when we shouldn't be seeking their approval but His approval. We go into ministry, or mentor ship, or every just a caring & listening ear to a friend or family member and can fall into this trap of trying to give the best advice, or be the one who gave them something to think about, only to wait for days or weeks for approval that YOU were a good friend, or had some profound impact on their lives. When you see them next you hope they'll mention how touched they were by your conversation, advice, or act of kindness. This turning it all about you, ignoring Christ in the picture.

We crave to be approved, especially us women who want to know we're needed or invaluable. we want to know we are good for something. It pushes us to strive for more, and reach our goals, it encourages us to sit back and observe so we know how to deal with future situations, and be a strong and loving woman - all for the sake of getting the needed approval we deserve.

But what is all this without the approval of Christ, without His primary approval as our focus. We should be striving for His love and 'hey great job' encouragement not those around us.

I struggle in this sometimes knowing that there are some things I want approval from others for. I don't want to say approval from others is bad, in fact it can be invaluable in ministry and life. We need to know we're needed and wanted - if not where would we get? we'd give up on things, and stop trying.

I've received encouragement in the past at just the right time, when I may have started to feel like I wasn't making a difference or was feeling down on myself and just some simple words are all it took to lift my spirits and get back in the saddle. Without that encouragement and words of approval who know what I may have done. Given up, ignored, stopped caring, or just gotten lazy?

Getting approval can give you the push you need on those days when you just don't feel like doing more to persevere  but it's where your heart is that makes the difference. Are you seeking the approval of others, or Gods, and is this pride affecting your relationship with Christ?

Where do you stand on this?


From a Struggler...

“You have multiplied, O Lord my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us; none can compare with you! I will proclaim and tell of them, yet they are more than can be told” (Psalm 40:5).


Psalm 40:4 says this: “Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust, who does not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after a lie!”