Category: Love of God

  • Unseen Idols – Approval

    Unseen Idols – Approval

    Idols aren’t just statues; they are internal devotions competing with God. The idol of approval anchors our worth in others’ opinions, promising acceptance but delivering anxiety. This devotional helps identify and defeat this idol by grounding identity in God’s unconditional love.

    To dismantle this idol, we must see it clearly distinguishing between healthy affirmation and idolatry. Idolatry occurs when human approval becomes our ultimate priority, giving others power only God should have.

    Theologian Tim Keller states the core need is “to be loved, respected, and accepted.” This turns a natural desire into spiritual dependency, making one a “slave to the opinions of others.” When our self-worth is tied to human approval, we give others control, making us vulnerable and unstable.

    Symptoms include:
    Being overly devastated by criticism, overly inflated by praise.
    Fearing confrontation, lying, or compromising ethics to maintain our reputation or avoid disapproval.
    Social media amplifies this. It rewards validation signals like likes and shares. This encourages what psychologysts call “performative identity display,” where we curate an image rather than being ourselves in Christ.

    This constant pressure intensifies the need for approval, harms our mental health, and bases our identity on flimsy social validation. This performance exhausts us and poses spiritual dangers.

    The idol of approval threatens spiritual health, corroding relationships, compromising integrity, and diverting us from God’s purpose.

    In 1 Samuel 18:6-9, King Saul’s worth tied to public acclaim made David’s victory a personal slight. His need for approval prevented him from celebrating David, viewing him as a rival. This impulse to compare splinters communities, as “A town or family splintered by feuding will fall apart” (Matthew 12:25). Internal idols, not external enemies, are the biggest threat.

    It also prevents authentic love

    Proverbs 27:5-6 states, “Better is open rebuke than hidden love. Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.” Authentic love prioritizes long-term well-being over immediate happiness. If we need to be liked, we avoid difficult conversations essential for growth. We cannot love selflessly if we depend on approval. Our “love” becomes transactional.

    It leads to compromised convictions.

    In 1 Samuel 13, King Saul, fearing disapproval from his men, disobeyed God’s command and offered a sacrifice. Samuel declared, “You have done a foolish thing… Your kingdom will not endure” (1 Samuel 13:13-14). Saul’s compromise, driven by fear of disapproval, sabotaged his destiny. The fear of man cost him his kingdom.

    Recognizing these dangers is the first step. The next is to replace the idol with something powerful and enduring.

    The idol of approval must be replaced with the truth of God’s unearned love in Christ.

    “You are not what you do. You are not what you have. You are not what others say about you. You are the beloved of God.”

    Henri Nouwen

    Professor Dallas Willard adds,

    “Our identity is not achieved; it is received.”

    Our core self is a gift from our Creator. Ephesians 2:8-9 (AMP) states salvation is “by grace… not through your own effort… the gift of God; not as a result of [your] works.” Our worth is a gift, not a wage, settled by God’s love, not human opinion.

    God’s love precedes our performance. Psalm 139:13-16 shows God knew and formed us before we could earn His approval. His love is proactive; He sent Jesus to die for us without certainty of our acceptance. This is the unshakable truth. When we grasp this, the frantic need to perform fades. “When we are living in Christ our saviour, we no longer need to prove ourselves worthy of love — we rest in the truth that we already are.” This is freedom: moving from an outside-in identity to an inside-out one, anchored in Christ. Resting in this truth is a lifelong journey. Invite the Holy Spirit to apply this reality to our hearts.

    Reflect:

      Consider these questions prayerfully:

      • In which relationships or situations am I most tempted to perform for approval?
      • When have I felt “overly devastated by criticism or overly inflated by praise”? What does this reveal about my sense of worth?
      • Reflecting on Saul and David, whose success have I found difficult to celebrate? What does this reveal?
      • When did fear of disapproval keep me from speaking truth or standing firm?
      • How can I practically remind myself this week that my identity is “received” in Christ’s love, not “achieved”?

      Closing Prayer :

        Lord God,

        I acknowledge my struggle with the idol of approval. I confess seeking worth in others’ eyes. I surrender this idol. Strengthen me through Your Spirit, so that Christ may dwell in my heart. Help me o be rooted in Your love. Grant me grace to comprehend Your boundless love. Fill me with Your presence, so that my life reflects Your unshakable love for me.

        Amen.

      1. God’s Invitations in Our Situations

        God’s Invitations in Our Situations

        In every situation, God extends an invitation. It’s not an invitation to escape our circumstances, but to overcome them—to be shaped by His presence and purpose in the middle of the struggle.

        In every difficult situation—in the midst of bad news, storms, and frustration—God is still extending an invitation. Being an overcomer in Christ is not about escaping life’s hardships, but about disarming their power to determine our destiny or define us. Spiritual growth, or formation, is the “great reversal” of moving from being the one who controls things to being a person shaped by the presence, purpose, and power of God in all things.

        The pathway to spiritual maturity often involves making peace with difficult truths that sound like bad news, but each truth holds a powerful invitation from God. We are invited to:

        1. Live from Victory, Not for Victory: Although life is hard (John 16:33), we are invited to take heart and live from the victorious salvation Christ has already secured through His defeat of death.
        2. View Death as an Extension of Eternal Life: While we are destined to die (Hebrews 9:27), God invites us to view death not as extinction, but as a doorway into our continued eternal existence in Christ, motivating us to live out the ways of heaven on earth now.
        3. Make Peace with Human Limitations: Recognizing that “you’re not that important” allows us to find freedom in living within limits, setting us free from trying to assume attributes that belong only to God, such as always being in control or striving for perfection. Our unwillingness to live within limits is a deep source of burnout.
        4. Experience the Joy of a Significant Life: When we accept that “your life is not about you”, we are called to follow the example of Jesus who came to serve others (Matthew 20:28). God invites us into the joy of a significant life (adding value to others) rather than just striving for success (adding value to ourselves).
        5. Come to God and Let Go: Although many are the plans in a person’s heart, it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails (Proverbs 19:21). The invitation is to embrace a faith that surrenders to the unknown, opening ourselves up to heaven by letting go of our own control.

        Reflect

        1. In what specific area of my life am I striving for victory rather than confidently living from the victory Christ has already won?
        2. If I truly viewed my physical death as only an extension of my life eternal in Christ, how would that change my priorities or the way I love others today?
        3. Which of God’s attributes (like needing to be in control or always having the answer) am I exhausting myself trying to live out, and how can I let go of that impossible striving and find freedom in my human limitations?
        4. Am I currently prioritizing success (adding value to myself) or significance (adding value to others), and how can I shift my focus to experience the complete joy that comes from bearing fruit for the sake of others?
        5. What bad news or frustration am I desperately trying to control right now, and how can I open myself to God’s prevailing purpose by letting go and choosing to trust Him as my good God?

        Closing Prayer

        Heavenly Father, we come to you with our bad news, knowing that in every challenge, You extend a divine invitation. We choose our “yes” to Your invitations. We pray for the grace to let go of our fear of death, our need to control, our drive to prove our worth, and the idea that our life is about us. Shape us by Your presence and power so that our trials lose their ability to define us, and instead become powerful testimonies of Your goodness and sovereignty. Amen.

        Watch the sermon on YouTube

      2. Peculiar People: A Christ-like Walk of Love

        Peculiar People: A Christ-like Walk of Love

        Our greatest achievement as Christians is not merely obeying verses, but “living a life that most reflects the way he would live if he were you”. This means transforming our hearts to “become lovers of others,” rather than simply conforming to information.

        As followers of Jesus, we are called to be a “peculiar people”. This “peculiar” walk often means that our faith and life choices may appear “foolish” when viewed through the lens of popular culture. Our walk is not merely about adhering to a static set of rules, but about believing what Jesus says about who we are, who He is, and about others, profoundly shaping how we interact with the world.

        There is a distinction between living a “biblical life” and a “Christ-like life”. A biblical life, as exemplified by the Pharisees, often focuses on obeying rules and preserving identity through “boundary markers of purity and law”. They were deeply committed and biblically literate, believing their unwavering pursuit of obedience to the Torah would trigger God’s promised resurrection and restoration. However, their interpretation of scripture (Deuteronomy 21:22-23) led them to believe Jesus was cursed by God because he was hung on a tree, and his followers were seen as idolatrous sinners preventing God from saving the nation. This outlook, based on Scriptural reasoning, sometimes led to coercive power and even violence.

        The Apostle Paul, then known as Saul, was once a Pharisee deeply convinced he was serving God’s will by persecuting early Christians, even giving permission for the stoning of Stephen. He believed that the presence of “sinners” among God’s people was the main obstacle to salvation. This demonstrates how a deep understanding of scripture, when applied as a “static text without its broader context,” can lead to actions contrary to God’s ultimate will.

        Paul’s life took a radical turn when he had an intimate encounter with God’s presence on the road to Damascus. This encounter transformed him from a man living a “biblical life” to one pursuing a “Christ-like life,” motivated by love rather than the perfect preservation of biblical law. The irony is that Paul, who once despised foreign cultures and sought to purify Israel, was now sent by God to preach salvation to those very nations.

        It was this transformed Paul who later wrote in 1 Corinthians 13:1-6, declaring that even if one possesses spiritual gifts, knowledge, or performs great deeds, “but do not have love, I am nothing” and “I gain nothing”. This reveals that “all actions and beliefs are secondary to the command to love sacrificially”. Paul understood that “Jesus had become the ultimate revelation of all truth in the bible through the life he lived,” and following Him meant being “driven by love,” not just pursuing perfect obedience to law.

        Jesus Himself lived out this peculiar love, often appearing “peculiar and even improper” to those focused on the law. He didn’t let “theological problems in the lives of others become more important than a person to love”. Where the law condemned, Jesus showed grace: healing on the Sabbath, dining with prostitutes and tax collectors, and protecting a woman caught in adultery from stoning, while the Pharisees cited the law. He also ministered to a Samaritan woman, breaking traditional lines of separation.

        C.S. Lewis stated, “It is Christ Himself, not the Bible, who is the true word of God,” and that the Bible should not be used “as a sort of encyclopaedia out of which texts can be taken for use as weapons”. Our greatest achievement as Christians is not merely obeying verses, but “living a life that most reflects the way he would live if he were you”. This means transforming our hearts to “become lovers of others,” rather than simply conforming to information. The most important thing is “who you become,” as Dallas Willard believed. When we respond with love like Jesus, seeking to understand instead of judging like the Pharisees, we begin to “heal the root, not just the reaction”.

        Reflective Questions:

        1. Does my faith walk appear peculiar to popular culture?
        2. Where might my focus on rules hinder loving others?
        3. Am I pursuing a “biblical life” or a “Christ-like life”?
        4. How can I prioritize people over their theological problems or behaviors?
        5. What next step can I take to treat people as though Jesus died for them?

        What personal next step can you take?

        Closing Prayer:

        Heavenly Father, thank you for calling us to be a peculiar people, transformed by Your love. Forgive us for the times we have prioritized law over love, and judgment over grace. Just as You transformed Paul, we pray for transformed hearts, that we may truly become lovers of others, not just conform to Your word. Help us to filter all scripture through the life of Jesus and to walk as He walked, demonstrating His love and grace to everyone we encounter. May our lives reflect the way Jesus would live if He were us, seeing hearts, healing roots, and extending Your unfailing love. Amen.

        Watch the sermon on YouTube

      3. Mary – A Faith for the Real World

        Mary – A Faith for the Real World

        Our lives are a puzzle, and down here, we only see “imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror”. Faith is trusting that the pieces we cannot fit together now will one day form a beautiful, complete picture.

        The life of Mary was filled with “once off” circumstances we can never imitate. A virgin birth, angelic visitations, shepherds and Magi at her doorstep, and the profound mystery of raising a child who would never sin—these events set her apart. It’s easy to place her on a pedestal, seeing her as inaccessible. Yet, the core question her story poses is, “How does it relate to us?”. The answer lies not in her unique circumstances, but in her deeply human and relatable faith as she navigated a life of unimaginable divine purpose. Her journey is a profound example of real, unwavering trust in the face of the unknown.

        At the very heart of her story is a simple, yet world-changing “yes.” The angel Gabriel appeared to a girl of perhaps only thirteen or fourteen with a message that defied all logic. She was betrothed, a legally binding arrangement, meaning a pregnancy outside of her union with Joseph would be considered adultery—a crime punishable by stoning. She was “greatly troubled” and afraid, yet her response was immediate and resolute: “I am the Lord’s servant… May your word to me be fulfilled”. This was not a blind leap but an act of profound trust in the character of God, a choice to embrace His disruptive plan despite the immense personal risk and the certainty of scandal.

        Her journey immediately shows us that God does not leave us alone in our obedience. God’s kindness: “God knew Mary’s going to need a friend now”. Because who would believe her story? So the angel pointed her to her relative, Elizabeth. The moment Mary walked in the door, Elizabeth shouted in confirmation, “How privileged I am that the mother of my Lord has come to visit me!”. In that moment, God provided the comfort, confirmation, and community she desperately needed. This pattern of provision continued, as the Magi’s gifts of gold would later fund her family’s flight to Egypt, fulfilling scripture and keeping her son safe.

        However, faith does not exempt us from confusion or pain. Mary had to learn that while she was Jesus’ mother, she also had to become his disciple, a “big transition to make”. Imagine the panic of losing the twelve-year-old Son of God for three days, only to find Him in the temple. Her worried cry, “Didn’t you know we were worried about you?” was met with his perplexing response about being in his “Father’s business.” The scripture says she “did not understand,” but she “treasured everything in her heart”. This treasuring of mysteries would culminate in the ultimate pain, a pain foretold thirty-three years earlier when Simeon prophesied that “a sword would pierce her soul”. This prophecy became her reality as she stood at the cross, watching her son become a “bloody pulp, unrecognizable”.

        This is where her story intersects most powerfully with our own: the reality of suffering. It is often “totally inexplicable” and not something we deserve. When we suffer, it is not because “God is mad at you”. Rather, God uses it.

        “When he has tried me, I shall come forth as gold”.

        Job 23:10

        Suffering has a purifying effect. In a stunning paradox, the Bible says that even Jesus, who was perfect, “learned obedience through the things that he suffered”. If He did, how much more do we? Our lives are a puzzle, and down here, we only see “imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror”. Faith is trusting that the pieces we cannot fit together now will one day form a beautiful, complete picture.

        Ultimately, Mary is not a model we are called to imitate in detail, but an “example of a real person who trusted God as an individual”. The challenge is to ask, “What can I learn from Mary about living in faith in my real world?”. If she were here, she would tell us: “You can trust Him, even though life doesn’t turn out as expected. He is good and faithful, and He keeps His promises”. He knows your name, He holds you in His hands, and He will bring you safely home.

        Reflect:

        1. Mary said “yes” to God despite knowing the potential consequences. When have you felt God asking you to do something that felt frightening or uncertain? What can you learn from Mary’s immediate trust?
        2. God provided Mary with a supportive friend and confirmation in Elizabeth just when she needed it. Who has God placed in your life to encourage and support your faith during a difficult season? Take a moment to thank God for them.
        3. Mary experienced the deep pain of watching her son suffer, a pain foretold as a “sword” piercing her soul. Reflect on a time of suffering in your own life. How does the idea that suffering can have a “purifying effect” change your perspective on that experience?
        4. The sermon uses the analogy of life being a puzzle where we only see some pieces now. What parts of your life feel like confusing “puzzle pieces” right now? How can you practice trusting that “one day all those puzzle pieces are going to be filled in”?
        5. The final challenge is not to ask “How can I be like Mary?” but “What can I learn from Mary about living in faith in my real world?”. What is one practical lesson from her trust in God that you can apply to your own unique life this week?

        What personal next step can you take?

        Closing Prayer

        Father, we thank you for the example of Mary—for her courage, her trust, and her faithfulness in a life that did not turn out as she might have expected. Help us to trust you as she did.

        Now unto You, who is able to keep us from falling and to present us faultless before the presence of Your glory with exceeding joy. To the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen.

        Watch the sermon on Youtube.