Approval Addiction

Many people, myself included, suffer from the "need to please." Although this may not seem like a threat, I assure you that "approval addiction" can be a very disruptive dragon.

God placed all sorts of people on the earth. All different personalities and skin types. Could all of these people - who have been raised differently - with various backgrounds, all REALLY approve of each other ALL the time? The answer is a resounding "No!"

So, my question is this; If we can understand this logically, then why do we still expect EVERYONE to approve of us all the time? Our Country has been at war several times, we don't all agree politically - so why on earth should we expect everyone to approve of us all the time?

We see the lack of approval and acceptance of people as an inward rejection. Could it be that we simply have different views and opinions? Could it be that God sent us each here with different missions to fulfil on this earth? As frustrating as it may be - it isn't realistic to have the approval of everyone ALL the time.

We were all sent here to fulfill our own God given destiny - not someone else's. We need to measure up to God's expectations of us. Not the world's. We each have a special quest to fulfill.
We each have dragons to slay. We all make mistakes. The key is to not judge ourselves unrealistically. It is good to realize when we have made a mistake - but we shouldn't dwell on it. Mistakes are a daily part of life. We need to acknowledge the mistake, make it square with God and move on.

Author and speaker John C. Maxwell describes mistakes this way:

M essages that give us feedback about life.
I nterruptions that should cause us to reflect and think.
S ignposts that direct us to the right path.
T ests that push us toward greater maturity.
A wakenings that keep us in the game mentally.
K eys that we can use to unlock the next door of opportunity.
E xplorations that let us journey where we've never been before.
S tatements about our development and progress.

"I cannot give you the formula for success, but I can give you the formula for failure, which is, Try to please everybody." - Herbery Bayard Swope

We can not judge our worth based on our errors. We can not judge our worth based on our performance. Our worth is an intrinsic part of who we are because we are children of God. God sent us here to fulfil our individual quests. He expects us to make mistakes. He expects us to slay dragons along the way. All of it refines us. It's all part of the divine plan.