Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.
~Galatians 1:10
Whose approval are you seeking today? Are you chasing goals, with the ever-changing finish line? Are you trying to please your superiors, trying to earn recognition? Or, like me, I am my biggest critic. Am I trying to win the approval of the ceaseless, perfectionistic voice inside my mind?
It’s easy to see the people-pleasing mindset in others. Students try to become the teacher’s pet in an attempt to be “given” good grades. Or in the corporate world, we are extra kind to the boss in an attempt to earn the next promotion. But it’s harder to see when we do this to ourselves.
I am my own worst critic. I write for God. I write because I believe God called me to. But I second guess everything when I get ready to hit “publish” on my blog. I had a conversation with my husband last night about why I’m afraid to write/publish. I’ve been writing and publishing for so long and yet, the intimidation factor never goes away. Do my words matter? There are so many good writers out there, so what difference does it make? But God told me to write. He put me in position to take the classes necessary to get my start twenty years ago; now it’s up to me to continue. That’s what I need to do in order to please God. I need to learn to quit awaiting my own approval and instead seek to please God through my work.
Are you seeking the approval of others? Of yourself? Or are you seeking God in your work?