Day 2184 of the 7 day Bible verse challenge.


John 5:44 NIV

We've got another one of those amazing verses that stopped me in my tracks while reading. Another one of those that is so accurate and poignant still today. All of us have looked in the wrong direction for approval and acceptance. Like we've been discussing, we've all looked to the wrong things to find happiness and fulfillment.

It's all too common to seek approval and praise from other people. We seek our comfort and joy in things made by human hands. We think that we're going to find our value in being part of some group or gaining some title. Yet we never find any of that comfort, any joy, any value, or pride, or anything else from other people or worldly things. That's because they're not where those things come from.

The pride, satisfaction, joy, peace, and fulfillment that we're looking for are only found in God. When we're living for Him according to His plans and His will for our lives then we don't need anything else. We don't need some other person to approve of us. We don't need some group to help define us. We don't need any worldly possession to bring us joy. We don't need any of it because nothing else can compare with what God gives us and who we are in Him.

I couldn't love the blatancy of this message more than I do. It's one of those verses that straight up calls us out and hits right in the gut. How can we claim to be Christians when we're living for anything of this world? How we can call ourselves servants of God if we're seeking to be approved of by someone else? How can we say we have peace in who God made us when we're constantly seeking worldly acclaim?

Like we've been talking about lately, we already have everything we need from God. He's forgiven us. He's loved us when we were unlovable. He's taken care of us every single day. He's continued to lead us in the right direction when we kept trying to wander off. He's sent us countless blessings despite our lack of appreciation. He has been beyond good to us every day of our lives and He always will be.

So it's time that we set our sights on pleasing Him. It's time that we spend our time working to get right with Him and be who He made us to be. It's time that we stop limiting ourselves to worldly things and live for more, to live for Him. Like I've said recently, this world cannot offer us what God has so freely given. So it only stands to reason that we spend our lives seeking His approval, His will, His plans, and appreciate His blessings and His calling for us. That's where we find our value and worth, not in anything down here!

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