We live in a world that is addicted to seeking approval. Whether it’s as superficial as how many “likes” you received on your latest post or as significant as what mom and dad think about you, one thing is for certain…we thirst for approval. Jesus invited all who thirst to come to Him. But why? Can God really quench our desire for approval? After all, getting God’s approval seems to be the most impossible given His standard for holiness. Enter the good news! Jesus did not invite us to a religion that makes God’s approval a goal but to a relationship where God’s approval is guaranteed, not by what you do but by what He has done!

At its core, the gospel is not about better behavior but new birth. The moment you placed your faith in Jesus, you were made alive in Christ (Ephesians 2:5), holy and acceptable (Romans 12:1) to God! It is a lie that God’s approval would ever be based on our performance rather than on the person of Christ.

Dear child of God, this is such good news…God approves of you! He is pleased with you. He likes you! This is grace…God’s unearned favor in Jesus Christ. We are set free from the fleeting and false approval of this world and we now live by faith in being approved of by the One, the only One that could ever satisfy! God’s approval is not an unreachable goal, it is our firm foundation. We live from approval, not for it, and that is freedom. Enjoy today knowing God’s smile is upon you!

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John 7:37 Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink…”

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