By Brooke Kireta
What about those of us who long for recognition from the people around us? The thought of having no one but God see us and acknowledge us sounds less than hopeful.
We want someone - our kids, our husband, our parents, our boss...someone, anyone, to see us and say, “Wow! You are working hard, and I am so grateful for you.” Is that really too much to ask? Yes and no.
We were made to live in community and family and in those places it is normal and healthy to recognize and be recognized for who we are and how we contribute to the world around us. But we also are heavily influenced by the culture we live in where something only counts, something only really happened, if it was seen. In our Facebook and Instagram social media world - so much of what we do these days is manufactured for the approval and notice of others. How much of what we do is done to impress those around us? We probably don’t even realize how often our motives become mixed between wanting to obey God and wanting to seem like a good person.
God calls us to live for the audience of One, to live first commandment first - to love Him with all our hearts.
Matthew 22:37-38
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.
Our prayer today is this :
Lord, search us and test our hearts. Reveal anything in us that is not lining up with living for Your approval first and foremost. Make us a people that love You with all our hearts and all our souls and all our minds. Heal the places in us that need the approval of others, the places that need to create an image of who we think others want instead of just being who You created us to be.
What about those of us who long for recognition from the people around us? The thought of having no one but God see us and acknowledge us sounds less than hopeful.
We want someone - our kids, our husband, our parents, our boss...someone, anyone, to see us and say, “Wow! You are working hard, and I am so grateful for you.” Is that really too much to ask? Yes and no.
We were made to live in community and family and in those places it is normal and healthy to recognize and be recognized for who we are and how we contribute to the world around us. But we also are heavily influenced by the culture we live in where something only counts, something only really happened, if it was seen. In our Facebook and Instagram social media world - so much of what we do these days is manufactured for the approval and notice of others. How much of what we do is done to impress those around us? We probably don’t even realize how often our motives become mixed between wanting to obey God and wanting to seem like a good person.
God calls us to live for the audience of One, to live first commandment first - to love Him with all our hearts.
Matthew 22:37-38
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.
Our prayer today is this :
Lord, search us and test our hearts. Reveal anything in us that is not lining up with living for Your approval first and foremost. Make us a people that love You with all our hearts and all our souls and all our minds. Heal the places in us that need the approval of others, the places that need to create an image of who we think others want instead of just being who You created us to be.
RSS Feed
