Dear Women Who Pray:
“He was despised and rejected a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on Him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care”. Isaiah 53:3
No one likes rejection. Whether it’s rejection from a parent, your children, a job, a relationship - - rejection hurts. It causes us to form a crusty covering over our hearts. Then we in turn reject someone else, or even reject God.
I recently heard a Pastor say, “our society today is riddled with the Approval Addiction”. We seek ardently after the approval of others. Rejection therefore, cuts deep into our hearts. Life would be simpler, more content if we followed after Jesus. Although He was rejected and despised, He still sought God’s approval and served others. You see, He knew where He came from and He knew where He was going. He was confident in the One He was seeking after - God the Father.
Are you chasing the approval of others? Are you looking at your friends to say “good job”, “you’re doing great”. Are you always needing and seeking the people around you to affirm that you count for something? Can you identify with the scripture above? Feeling rejected, despised, filled with grief, a woman of many sorrows?
Remember Jesus felt all those feelings, yet He did not turn away from us, but He embraced us by dying on the cross for us. Perhaps you’re rejecting Jesus by questioning Him. Those times we say “But” when He calls us to something we are not comfortable with, asking us to forgive when we don’t feel we should. Those times we are rejecting HIM.
So how can we not buy into the Approval Addiction Syndrome? We start by looking intimately into ourselves and having intimacy with Christ. An intimate relationship with Christ will cause us to look inward. Think of the word intimacy as “in-to-me-see”. Look deep inside and desire change.
Seeking the world’s approval brings rejection. God’s approval means never being rejected. John 6:37 says “Those the Father has given me will come to me and I will NEVER reject them”.
Pray through all of April that these women will never be Approval Addicts! May you know how much Christ loves you!
I am a child of God,
Sharon