Christians: Please Stop Seeking Validation From the World!

I'm just going to be honest here today. This post won't be lengthy, or verbose. As I discern that we are coming closer and closer to the fulfillment of the prophecies Jesus gives us in Matthew 24 and 25, I become more aware of how many people (including Christians) whose validation comes from the sinful world, rather than from their Redeemer. And it bothers me. And yes, it might be due to the paper I wrote in third grade titled "My Personality", in which I made the direct and terse statement, "I don't like fake people", that has described my opinions of disingenuous people ever since. [Note: I'm happy to say that my eight-year-old self learned to curb my judgment and offer grace]. But I'm still aware of people who crave validation, and not always from the best sources. 

Because my husband and I are studying the Book of Revelation, I am deeply conscious of Jesus's letters to the Churches, and the accusations He has against them. I am also sensitive to the devastating price that Jesus paid for my opportunity to be spared from the righteous wrath of God against His creation. Therefore, I am greatly disturbed by the self-seeking and self-serving attitudes of the masses -- both believers and non-believers alike.

Believe me, I know that I have my own catalog of sins and times I've disappointed Jesus; a list of thoughts and actions that fail to fulfill His hopes and expectations of me. And there are the times I've been tempted to seek meaning and my value from the approval or recognition of another. But, after coming into my personal relationship with Jesus, I have found that no one, nor anything else, meets the level of validation I receive from my Lord. He calls me His own, and I only want to walk in His image. The world offers me nothing that exceeds His approval and praise.

So, when I see people who need to compete for attention -- whether it is on social media, or in their church titles, I am [admittedly] both saddened and angered. Sad, that they are  caught in endlessly exhausting cycles of seeking validation from the world; and, yes, angered that they seem unawares of the devastating price that Jesus paid to free us from the temptations of the world. And when I see Christians who are  focused on receiving their "earthly crowns" more than they desire to direct the world to the Glory of Christ, I wonder just how much it breaks His heart. Do they understand He paid for our freedom through all eternity, and the price He paid was His lifeblood? We belong to Him; our bodies are His temple; and He counts each of us worth His life! 

Is there any other in this world that considers you so valuable? Does His love or affirmation shift with the changing algorithms of the day? And do you constantly feel like you need to keep updating your qualifications in order to be appreciated or recognized as worthy? Are you always performing? That's the trap the world sets for you! 

When you know who you are and Whose you are, you can truly be in the world, and not of the world. Being rooted in your Godly identity is the only way you can stay grounded and stable. Your life doesn't collapse when someone criticizes you or rejects you in a crowd. Your value isn't invalidated when your hair turns gray, or your position in the workplace is revoked. Jesus's presence in your life is all the assurance you need of your worth.

I believe we are about to enter a period in the history of the world when the only opinion that matters is the voice of our Savior. The latter days are described in the Bible as marked by War, Famine, and Pestilence. And, in case you're not paying attention, they are all being widely proclaimed. And, yes, I know they have always existed, and people throughout history have thought they were nearing the End Times. But don't tell me that you can't feel Evil and Lawlessness getting ready to join forces with the Antichrist spirit. At the same time, my spirit is sensing the presence of the King of the Universe as He prepares to separate the wheat from the tares, and the sheep nations from the goat nations. I'm feeling the heat of the Refiner's Fire as God readies His process of purifying and transforming His people to become validated representatives of His kingdom on earth.

So, while I will not judge the hearts of anyone as to whether they are "fake" or "genuine" -- that's God's responsibility -- I will judge their fruit and pray that we all understand that our value comes from God and the One who made us and set us apart from the world. We are made in His image and He loves us. That's all the validation we need!

1 Peter 2:9       But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of His own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous Light.   

 

Validation: The Longing of Every Soul

 

As you know if you are familiar with my blog, my husband, Mark, and I have been appointed by Jesus to bring His healing to those who are suffering from trauma and torment brought on by the Enemy's attacks on their lives. Trauma and torment are common tactics used by the devil and his agents to keep people from knowing their true identity. And identity defines our self-worth, so what makes a better target for the Enemy than how we perceive our value?

I love explaining to people that the Scripture tells us that God chose us [in Him] before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4); that He knew us before we were conceived in our mother's womb (Jeremiah 1:5); and the most amazing Scripture to me ... that we had glory with Him before the world existed (John 17:5)! You see, I believe that being made in the image of God, we are spirit beings as He is Spirit. And I also believe that we existed in Heaven [with God] before He and Jesus even formed the world. Furthermore, I believe Scripture tells us that God chooses us, sets us apart, and calls us to a specific purpose for Him. In other words, He decides when to send our spirit being here to earth, in these bodies of flesh, to walk out the assignment we are given to reveal His Kingdom here on earth. We have a divine purpose for being here!

But here's the caveat: our Most High God wants our embedded spirit to choose to serve Him and carry out our purpose to share the Good News that salvation from sin and death is available to all mankind. And the next step in our calling is to declare that we have the power and authority of Christ to restore the earth to the jurisdiction of the Kingdom of Heaven -- to remove the influence that Satan's kingdom of darkness has over the world. But that doesn't automatically happen, as is easily discerned by observing the current state of the planet.  

God's gift of Free Will puts the onus on us. We must make a decision to follow Jesus, receive our salvation, and then walk out our assignment as an ambassador of Heaven. BUT, we have an Enemy whose sole goal is to keep us from knowing our value and worth, so that we never discover that divine purpose that is written on our pages in God's Book of Life. If we don't understand at the deepest level of our soul and spirit who we are -- that we are made in the very image of God! -- then it is so easy for the devil to send attacks against our bodies, our souls, and yes, our spirits, to cause trauma and pain. Molestation, drugs, sex, and even a lack of nurturing [being ignored, neglected, rejected, and never heard] can destroy that connection to God that every human being is born with. 

We all crave validation. We have an innate desire to be wanted; to be cherished and loved; to have a sense that others value us and we have worth to the human race. But again, none of that is automatic in a sinful world. If we haven't chosen Jesus as our Savior, we look for our value and worth from people, and they are poor substitutes for the One who created us, loves us, died for us, and who sent us here with a divine purpose for our lives. So, we look for validation [which is confirmation and approval that we have value] from people and things which the devil uses to manipulate us, torment us, and lead us down paths of unrighteousness. We also look for our worth on Social Media -- which, I'm sorry, folks, promulgates so much fake, dishonest, and false identity. Or we numb the pain of unworthiness with drugs or meaningless sex.

What really grieves the Lord, though, is the tool of molestation that is used against children. So many of the Beloveds that Jesus sends to our ministry are adult victims of child molestation; both men and women. And molestation violates not only the body of the child, but destroys the innate self-worth of them as a human being, leaving them open to the lies of the Enemy who easily convinces them they are guilty, dirty, shameful, disgusting, unworthy, and unlovable. That's about as far from the image of God [that is our true identity] that you can get.

But I'm here to tell you that we must recognize these tactics of the Enemy and we must not only seek our own validation from the Lord, but earnestly establish that identity in our children! If this nation and the world are to come out of the darkness that we see in these school shootings, the violence in our major cities, and the rampant drug abuse and homelessness, then we must develop some strategies to restore God-given purpose and identity in our children. That might sound like just more typical Christian talk that no one actually expects to happen, but we've ignored the epidemic of depression, anxiety, fear, anger, insecurity, and loneliness that has led to not only anger and bitterness, but increased violence and suicide among our children. And believe me when I say that the devil doesn't differentiate between adults and children. Every human soul is fair game. The Enemy, working through a pandemic and technology, has managed to isolate millions of Americans, making them vulnerable to his methods of destroying their self-worth and identity. Let's end the trauma and torment for people of all ages, and introduce them to their validation in Christ Jesus. That is the hope of the world and it's time we walk boldly in our purpose for being here.

Galatians 1:10    Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant.