A panel of one

When Jesus spoke or acted, he was totally free from the need to impress. This means he was free to 'speak the truth in love' (see Ephesians 4:15). Are we free like this? Or is our life like one really long episode of X-Factor, where everything we say or do is a performance designed to impress 'the judges'? Almost certainly our family would be on that judging panel, and our mates, plus our teachers, youth leaders... it can get pretty crowded in the judges' box. The drawback of a performance life is that it's an act made up of what we think other people are thinking. And of course, we can never know for sure what anybody's actually thinking about us.

When we are young we can get into the bad habit of living to please others. When we are older and wiser we realise that most of the time others aren't even thinking about us anyway! When our identity gets wrapped up in others' opinions, we set ourselves up for approval addiction. Our sense of self-worth is always on the line.

That's not how God wants us to live! Paul writes, 'I'm not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ's servant' (Galatians 1:10 NLT). Let's put aside seeking approval from people; let's focus on the panel of one, Jesus..

So what now? Give yourself a break from the performance. Just seek to do what God thinks is great!

— SCRIPTURE —

'I am not trying to please people. I want to please God.' Galatians 1:10 CEV
— SOULFOOD —

Rom 12-14, John 10:11-21, Ps 8, Pro 29:11-12