Whose Approval Do You Seek???

We tend to define ourselves in terms of relationships which sometimes causes us focus too much on what we hear. What we hear we take to heart. We are sensitive to voices and tones and give so much authority over our hearts to what we hear from others. We allow others to put us down or to try to change us. Sometimes they don't even mean any harm but we get hurt along the way. Danger is, we base our lives on this unreliable emotional rollescoaster.



We need to realize that people are 100% unable to fully quench our thirst. Cheri Gregory, the speaker at our women's retreat back in march did this really neat activity to help us visual learners fully graps this: She placed 7 empty bottles up front and gave us small sheets of papers. The bottles were labeled: Spouse/Significant other, Children, Parents, Teachers, Friends, Boss, Strangers. She then told us to write down comments that were made to us or about us that were really hurtful. We were to go to the front and put the comments in the corresponding labeled bottles. They quickely filled up....it was really touching to see the hundreds of hurting words we all carried in our hearts on a daily basis. It was a wake up call for most of us. It brought us to tears to see how we've lived our lives trying to please the wrong crowd and carrying this heavy load in our heart. We started to feel freedom as we surrendered these chains before the Lord!!!



Then Cheri proceeded to grab a red bucket "our heart" and pour the folded papers "water" into the buckets. The bucket was filled yet remained empty. You see, if we base our identity on what others say, we will NEVER be filled.



According to some people in our life, we are not good enough, we are not pretty enough, wealthy enough, responsible enough, popular enough, talented enough, smart enough...you get the picture. You can't please them no matter what you do or say. You have to go out of your way to fit in, to be liked. You just simply can't be yourself. Is there something wrong with this picture or what? We seek to quench our need for approval. This is something I would struggle with growing up. The more I fix my eyes on the Lord though, the less I let others define how I'm going to feel. God is the only one who is going to tell me how I am to feel and how I am to see myself. He is my creator, He knows me, loves me, accepts me for who I am and helps me be a better person. He knows our hearts and He created us beautifully, with His very own hands, with special gifts, in avery UNIQUE way!!! God wants to be the LIVING WATER that quenches YOUR heart. He says in His word:

"Jesus answered and said to her, whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into evelasting life. The woman said to Him, Sir give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw. John 4:3-15



God wantS to be the one we come to, the One we seek for approval. We need to remember that we are hear to serve and honor HIM. Others will let us down but our Lord will never leave or forsake us! What helps me stay focused is when I tell myself that I am here to please an aundience of ONE! I want God to be the one that comforts me and speaks into my heart. God does put people in our lives to uplift us, to give a word of encouragement and that's such a blessing to have BUT the minute we put these people ahead of the Lord...we will once again start giving them authority over our heart. Truth is...the only voice worth hearing is JESUS CHRIST!



The Lord says: "Listen carefully to Me and eat what is good. And let your soul delight in abundance. Incline your ear and come to me. Hear, and your soul shall live. And I will make an everlasting covenant with you. The sure mercies of David"
Isaiah 54-2b-3



I want to incline my ear and listen to God whisper wonderful things. He wants you to live abundantly, not according to how society, your neighbor, friend, sibling says. He has created you before you were even in the womb. He wants you to have freedom in knowing that you are very special to Him.



The Lord wants to transform you, uplift you, protect you, restore you, encourage you, mold you and simply love YOU!!! Fix your eyes on Him and patiently wait to hear Him speak to you as you seek to become more and more like the Proverbs 31 woman He wants you to be. He wants you to be His princess...He wants to be YOUR KING!!! That is my desire, to depend solely on Him and seek His approval.

I SERVE AN AUDIENCE OF ONE!!!!