Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant. [Galatians 1:10 (NLT)]
The email from my dentist asked, “Would you recommend us?” When I answered in the affirmative, I was hyperlinked to a site that added my five-star rating to that of other patients. The following day, I received a longer survey regarding my recent visit. Once done, it again asked if I would recommend his services and requested use of my name in an on-line testimonial. It’s clear that my dentist wants more than feedback; he wants the public approval of his patients. Although I like him, I like my privacy more, so I declined!
Like my dentist, we all want to be noticed, liked, approved, applauded, and endorsed but, unlike him, we probably don’t employ a company to do surveys for us. Nevertheless, we tend to measure approval in other ways—the website’s metrics, “friends” on Facebook/Meta, and followers on Twitter/X, Instagram, TikTok, or Snapchat. Approval is determined by the number of compliments received, memberships (and offices held) in various organizations, honors awarded, likes on the posting, hearts on the text, or the quantity of Christmas and birthday cards received and invitations extended or accepted. We judge admiration on the number and expense of gifts we get, the reviews on Yelp or Trip Advisor, the size of the obituary, and the length of the line offering condolences at the funeral home.
Of course, it’s only natural to want the admiration of our family, friends, peers, and employers. Nevertheless, we must never seek their approval at the expense of pleasing God. When Saul initiated a sacrifice rather than wait for Samuel, he was seeking his men’s approval rather than God’s; as a result, he lost his kingdom. When we seek the approval of others, God does not approve! According to the Apostle John, many Jewish leaders would not admit their faith in Jesus for fear of being put out of their synagogues because they “loved human praise more than the praise of God.” Jesus warned us about trying to impress people with our righteousness by putting on a show of our giving, praying, or fasting. While we might be praised by others, the One who sees into our hearts is not impressed.
In Bill Watterson’s comic Calvin & Hobbes, there were several instances (usually after having been disciplined or given a chore) when the precocious Calvin informed his father that his approval ratings were dangerously low, especially among six-year-olds and stuffed tigers. To Calvin’s surprise, his dad seemed unconcerned about his approval ratings’ ups and downs. Like this wise comic strip father, we can’t let approval ratings determine our behavior! As much as we want to be liked and admired, Jesus made it clear that we must not seek the approval of people rather than that of God! Our job is to please Him and His approval rating is the only one that truly counts!
When we try to please both the world and God, the interests of our two masters eventually will collide. When that happens, and it will, whose approval will we seek—man’s or God’s?
Fear of man is the enemy of the fear of the Lord. The fear of man pushes us to perform for man’s approval rather than according to God’s directives. [Paul Chappell]
Devotions of the Heart 