STAY FIT: Strengthening Your Connection To JesusSample

Have you ever noticed how much we crave approval? Of course, you have. Nothing is more human. This is a real need in each of us, and, at times, the pursuit of it can be consuming. It’s important to remember that only one voice has the power to bless us in an ultimate sense: the voice of our heavenly Father.

Twice in the ministry of Jesus, God the Father audibly spoke his approval of Jesus. Once was in the passage listed above, as Jesus was baptized at the beginning of his public ministry. The second is during his transfiguration, which happened just before his trial and execution (Matthew 17:1–5).

Jesus did not need the same approval of his peers that we often crave. In fact, the Gospels state that Jesus did not “entrust himself” to human approval because he knew just how temporary and fickle it was (John 2:23–25). Jesus could do this because he knew with certainty that his identity rested completely on the only source of ultimate blessing, that of God the Father.

If I want the approval of others more than I am willing to accept that I’m fully approved of in Christ, I’ll be tempted to worship something else—an idol. So, if anyone pays you a compliment this week, take a moment to thank God for using that person to encourage you. On my better days, practicing that little habit helps me stay more focused on the only place my ultimate approval comes from.

Justin Elam
North Point Ministries