The Only Approval That Truly Matters
Reflections on John 5:44
“How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?”
— John 5:44
The longing to be accepted and valued runs deep within every human heart. From our careers and possessions to our relationships and even our religious expressions, we often tie our worth to how others perceive us. We give people power they were never meant to have—power to define our identity.
This hunger for approval is a consequence of the fall of man. Like the religious leaders during Jesus’s time, we tend to seek validation horizontally—from the world around us—instead of looking vertically, toward heaven. The danger of this is subtle but profound: we begin to live performance-based lives, constantly striving for approval that never truly satisfies.
When our acceptance is rooted in performance, we become trapped in an exhausting cycle. We tailor ourselves to fit the expectations of others, seeking that temporary high of feeling “approved.” But it’s a shallow comfort, built on shifting sand. The people we look to for validation are often just as lost, striving for their own acceptance. It’s a broken system, and it keeps us from walking in the freedom that comes through truth.
The only reliable source of truth is found in the Word of God—Jesus Christ. It’s in Him that we discover the solid, unwavering approval of our Heavenly Father. Through the sacrifice of Jesus, the highest price was paid to show us our value. Christ didn’t endure the cross because we were worthless sinners—He went through it because we were worth restoring. He wanted to bring us back into right relationship with the Father.
God’s acceptance is not earned; it is received. And once we embrace Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, we are fully and eternally accepted. No longer do we need to chase the applause of men or live under the weight of trying to “measure up.” Our identity is now found in the One who gave everything for us.
The enemy would love nothing more than to keep us focused on our faults, to make us feel distant from our Good Father. But here’s the truth: our own efforts never brought us close to God in the first place. It was—and always will be—the perfect performance of Jesus that made a way.
If we can grasp the power of our new creation identity in Christ, we’ll stop striving for worldly approval and rest in the only acceptance that truly matters: the approval of Almighty God.
And in that truth… is perfect freedom.