True Affirmation

I always find it interesting how we attempt to impress God almost identically to how we attempt to impress man. But see we only care to impress people when there is an emptiness within us. At the root of the desire to impress man is truly an intense search of affirmation and attention to fill the holes that we believe Christ’s holes were inadequate enough to fill. 

If you think about it, we often showcase our gifts and talents, with good motive and heart but there’s always this subconscious that lingers in our minds. A subconscious that deeply desires to be seen and to be known, a desire in which all humans possess.

I think a lot of times the enemy tries to trick us into believing that perhaps we can impress God with our gifts. Perhaps we can impress God with our works. Perhaps we can impress God with the fruit in which our hands can produce. But I hope we know that our gifts cannot impress the Giver. Our works cannot impress the One in which we work unto. Our fruit cannot impress the One Who had to first water the seed in order for the fruit to even grow.

I think once our hearts understand the simplicity behind the idea that God is deeply in love with us simply because we are His children, then we would see an end to the striving and competitive race that the world tries to force us into. Many long to be seen and known by their peers and friends, at the expense of self-promotion, but imagine a God Who didn’t need your self-promotion because He marked you with sonship. Imagine a God Who knew you before you were conceived.

Imagine a God Who loved you before you were capable of doing anything? Imagine a God Who intentionally breathed every fiber of your being into motion without causing a scene. You might be able to impress man with what you can do, but you do not need to impress God to earn His approval. He created you. He knows you. He sees you. And He loves you. Close the curtains, exit stage left and drop the act. The scene has come to an end and now you can find rest. He’s waiting for you.

IMAGINE A GOD WHO DIDN’T NEED YOUR SELF-PROMOTION BECAUSE HE MARKED YOU WITH SONSHIP.

God has every right to discard us like a decade-old, out-of-date, stained magazine, yet He still chooses to call us His own. He still chooses to embrace us just as we are, with the filthy rags that we think are worth boasting in. Why? Because we, being sons and daughters of the King of kings alone, is enough. PERIOD!

We were purchased, not with perishable goods and not because of what we could do, but because of what He did and what He could do. We were purchased not because of our works, but because He worked. We were bought with the imperishable blood of the Lamb and if we did not have to strive to receive His love, then we do not have to strive to maintain it either.

Don’t waste your time and energy trying to impress others. Spend your time and energy being impressed by Christ. In a world where everyone is skilled and tactfully trained at leaving at any sight of difficulty, choose to be impressed with the One Who saw your unadulterated darkness and stayed.

REPEAT THIS TRUTH:

1. I do not have to earn God’s love.

2. I do not have to work for God’s love.

3. I do not have to strive to receive recognition from God. 

Now I understand why in His presence freedom is found. Because in His presence we are reassured that being a son and daughter of the King is more impressive than any ounce of affirmation the world could offer. It is in His presence that freedom is found to be who He created us to be. There are no mistakes and there are no faults. This is a peace that the world seeks to rob you of. A peace that can only be found in the presence of God. Don’t let that peace suddenly vanish by striving for affirmation and attention by people it was never meant to come from. In His presence, you are affirmed and assured because Christ would put all of Heaven on hold just to hold you — because He is just that impressive.

Want to stop striving to impress God and start being impressed by God? KNOW HIM AND ABIDE IN HIS PRESENCE.