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Galatians 1:10 – Love vs Approval
Wednesday’s Wisdom – Love vs Approval
Read a thought-provoking comment saying, “There is nothing we can do to make God love us more”. I will have to remember that. Love, however, does not equate approval, as any parent knows. That is why Paul sought the approval of God and not of others (Galatians 1:10).
How often do you think God disapproves of our actions because we are seeking the approval of others causing us to sin? God loves us, and there is nothing we can do to stop that or gain more. What we must ask is, “Does God approve of us?” Only through Jesus does that occur (Romans 8:1).
Beyond that, what we must also ask is, “Does God approve of what we do?” Only by submitting to God’s will, can we know God approves of our actions, feelings, and thoughts. Even Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, the Son is not able to do anything on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, the Son likewise does these things” (John 5:19).
Maybe it might help if we understood this word “approve” better by seeing how it is variously translated and used. While the following verses are not all talking about God’s reaction to us, I did find these various translations helpful:
• “Trust” (Matthew 27:43) – Do I show trust in God, and can God trust me? If God can trust me, then he approves of me as I trust Him.
• “Followed” (Acts 5:36) – Do I follow God, and can God count on me following? If so, then God approves of me and the direction I am going.
• “Took Advice” (Acts 5:40) – Do I follow God’s wisdom? Inspiration doesn’t just command us; God gives us His ideas on life. When I take God’s advice, He approves of my decision.
• “Obey” (Romans 2:8) – Do I obey God because I trust Him enough to follow not just advice, but His commands?
None of the above will make God love me more than Jesus’s death for me already proves. Our lives should not be focused on earning God’s love; it can’t be earned. Question is, do we want to trust, follow, and obey so as to win God’s approval – Galatians 1:10 (NIV) “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.”
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