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]
Every morning, I receive an email from a Christian site to which I subscribe. Having no interest in Temu, make-up, or a “game-changer” pen for seniors, I ignore the ads as nothing more than “click bait.” Today’s ad from a jewelry company, however, caught my eye with its words, “Just in: Angel Numbers.” Having missed all the articles about them in Allure, Reader’s Digest, USA Today, Cosmopolitan, Women’s Day, Instyle, and Vogue, I didn’t know what an “angel number” was, so I Googled it. Apparently, when you see repeated digits (such as 11:11 on your clock, $9.99 on a price tag, 30303 on a license plate, or a date like 2/22/22), the universe is sending you a message! Rather than a coincidence, these repetitive numbers are a “sign from your guardian angel” (or a dead loved one). Supposedly, the “language of angels,” such numbers are meant to point you in a certain direction or confirm the direction in which you’re going! Of course, a host of psychics, spiritual mediums, and numerologists are more than willing to tell you the meaning of your “angel numbers.” And, as I discovered from the ad, once you find your number, you can purchase it in jewelry!
After pointing out Jesus as the “Lamb of God,” some of John the Baptizer’s disciples left John to follow Jesus. Later, John’s remaining disciples reported that Jesus was baptizing (it actually was His disciples) and wanted to know whose purification ritual of baptism was valid. With many turning from John to Jesus, the Baptizer’s disciples were confused, concerned, and probably a little envious. Apparently, they forgot that John’s original mission was that of forerunner—the one who would prepare the way for the Messiah and point the way to the Lamb of God. Knowing that he wasn’t the bridegroom but only His friend, the Baptizer humbly affirmed his position by telling his disciples that Jesus must become more prominent while he became less and less important. J.C. Ryle likened the Baptizer’s role to that of a star growing paler and paler as the sun rises until the star completely disappears in the light of the sun. John clearly understood that he was to fade in the light of the Son.
When considering Solomon’s excess and riches, I recalled comedian George Carlin’s “Stuff” routine. First performed for Comic Relief in 1986, Carlin made fun of our obsession with having stuff. Along with being the King of Israel, Solomon was the King of Stuff. Denying himself nothing, along with his elaborate throne of gold and ivory, he displayed 500 ornamental gold shields on the walls of his palace. Rather than silver, all the king’s goblets and eating utensils were made of pure gold. He had 40,000 stalls of horses for his chariots, and 12,000 horseman.
God gifted Solomon with great wisdom and people from every nation journeyed to Solomon’s court to hear his wisdom. Although 1 Kings 3 tells us that Solomon wisely determined the identity of the real mother in a dispute between two women who claimed to have given birth to the same infant [3:16-28], one wise answer hardly seems newsworthy enough to make him famous beyond Israel’s borders. Even the king’s prolific writings and vast knowledge of botany and zoology don’t fully explain his renown. In a world without mass media, what caused his reputation to travel some 1,400 miles to Sheba (modern Yemen)? Sheba’s queen was so interested in meeting the king that she and her entourage made a journey which, including her stay in Judah and the return trip, took two to three years. What about Solomon caused her to travel so far to assess the king’s wisdom and wealth for herself?
The patient Cormorant had been diving and resurfacing empty-beaked for several minutes before finally emerging victorious with a large fish crosswise in its beak. The fish thrashed in the cormorant’s beak while the bird tried to re-position its meal so it could be swallowed head first. A Brown Pelican suddenly crashed into the water and, after a great deal of wing flapping and water splashing, it was clear the Cormorant was no match for the larger bird. While the Pelican threw back its head and swallowed the unlucky fish, the unfortunate cormorant swam away still hungry.
Devotions of the Heart 