“How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and you do not seek the glory that is from the one and only God?”
—John 5:44

Reflection

Jesus understood how powerful the desire for human approval can be. We all want to be accepted, respected, and loved. But when the approval of people becomes more important to us than pleasing God, it can keep us from standing faithfully with Yeshua.

Following Jesus will sometimes bring rejection.

He Himself was rejected, not only by those who opposed Him, but even by people close to Him. In the same way, there may be times when others misunderstand us, speak wrongly about us, or reject us because of our faith in Yeshua.

The question is: Will we remain faithful when following Him costs us acceptance?

The Lord knows what we will face before we encounter it, and He gives us grace to endure. We see a picture of this in Song of Songs 5. The bride says, “I arose to open to my beloved; and my hands dripped with myrrh, and my fingers with liquid myrrh” (Song 5:5). Myrrh is associated in Scripture with suffering and burial, and this image can remind us that following the Lord sometimes requires dying to our need for the approval of others.

This is one of the ways God strengthens us. We learn not to allow either our emotions or the opinions of people to determine our faithfulness.

Rejection hurts. There is nothing spiritual about pretending otherwise. But rejection does not have to control us. When we know who we are in God and seek the glory that comes from Him, we become increasingly free from the need to have everyone affirm us.

We also learn to walk by faith rather than by feelings. There may be days when we feel close to God and other days when we do not. His presence and faithfulness have not changed. Our relationship with Him rests on something deeper than what we feel at any particular moment.

God can use these seasons to fortify us.

So when people misunderstand you or reject you because of your devotion to Yeshua, do not allow their response to determine your obedience. Seek the approval that comes from God. He will give you the grace to remain faithful, continue loving Him, and stand with Yeshua whatever the cost.

Application

• Ask yourself whether the desire for someone’s approval is affecting your willingness to obey God.
• When rejection comes, remember that God’s acceptance is more important than the affirmation of people, and ask Him for grace to remain faithful.

Prayer

Father, free me from seeking the approval of people more than I seek to please You. When I am misunderstood, rejected, or spoken of wrongly because of my faith in Yeshua, give me grace to remain faithful. Teach me to walk by faith rather than by my feelings and to find my security in You. Strengthen me to stand with Yeshua, even when doing so costs me the acceptance of others. Amen.