My Root Addiction is “You”
There are confident people, arrogant people, humble people, insecure people, and many hybrids of these. One of the fascinating things to me is my own root addiction to your approval of me. The more I have honestly analyzed this in myself I have realized that every one of us has, at minimum, pockets of insecurity. Insecurity often shows itself in openly or secretly needing the approval of others like we all need oxygen to live on. I remember hearing one pastor say, “I have an approval addiction.” He knew this about himself and also knew that all of us have a people pleaser tendency that shows itself at various times.
Yesterday I was reading the beginning of Galatians and I heard a verse that I’ve heard many times before but never seem to remember it at the “right” time. The passage is recorded in verse 10,
“Am I now trying to get people to think well of me? Or do I want God to think well of me? Am I trying to please people? If I were, I would not be serving Christ.”
Wow, this is a pretty clear passage full of questions for us to ask ourselves. Do I spend more time trying to impress people with my life or the One who gave me life? If I aim to please people first and foremost then it isn’t possible to be serving Christ. In the course of serving Christ we will, at times, please people and, at times, we will be pushed away by people. The one thing that doesn’t change in the midst of these extremes is the Truth (God’s Word).
Maybe it is time to really think about how God would prefer we navigate a situation. Maybe it is time to let God’s wisdom lead us through the situation at work. Maybe it is time to concern ourselves with the Ultimate Truth (God’s Word) as the compass for living. Making this repentant turn in our life will lead to experiencing many relational blessings and many strains to relationships. The good news is that the Spirit makes it possible for me to break my addiction to your opinion, feelings, and thoughts as it relates to me. The good news is that the Spirit makes it possible for me to concern myself with the Higher Things of God and in so doing be a blessing to you.
This certainly leaves us with much to think about and should leave us craving more of our Lord Jesus and His Word, which are one and the same!
