Look at What the Lord Has Done.....

Sometimes we become so focused on where God is leading us that we forget to stop and praise Him for how far He has already brought us.

Today, I am stopping to say, “Look at what the Lord has done.”

This is not a declaration that I have done everything perfectly. It is not a claim that I always understand what God is doing or that obedience has suddenly become easy.

It is praise to the Father for His grace and mercy as He continues to transform my heart, renew my mind and teach me how to walk by faith.

There was a time when I wanted the approval of people more than I wanted to admit.

I wanted people to like me, understand me and agree with what I was doing.

I wanted reassurance that I was making the right decisions before I took the next step.

But following Jesus does not always come with human applause.

Sometimes obedience means continuing when others do not understand.

Sometimes it means speaking when remaining silent would be more comfortable.

Sometimes it means releasing the need to explain every decision God has placed on your heart.

And sometimes it means taking the next step without being able to see where that step will lead.

Learning to Seek God’s Approval

Galatians 1:9-11 challenges us to examine whose approval we are truly seeking.

Paul asks whether he is trying to please people or to serve Christ.

 As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse!

Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.

That question has become personal for me.

Am I being obedient because I trust God, or am I waiting for people to approve of what He has already told me to do?

Am I following the direction of the Holy Spirit, or am I allowing the opinions of others to determine whether I move forward?

Am I living to make Jesus known, or am I shrinking back because I am afraid of being misunderstood?

Overcoming the need for human approval has not meant that I no longer care about people.

Jesus commands us to love others.

I care about how my words and actions affect people, and I want to represent Christ with humility, gentleness and truth.

However, loving people is different from allowing their approval to become my master.

I cannot faithfully serve Jesus while allowing the fear of rejection to control my obedience.

Companion Reel: I Don’t Live for Human Approval Anymore

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgP9nXJaeoQ

In the companion reel, Moxie asks whether I still want everyone to like me.

My answer is honest: I used to depend heavily on the approval of others.

The Lord has been teaching me that I was not created to live for applause.

I was created to belong to Jesus, walk in obedience and participate in the Great Commission.

There may be people who disagree with how I live as a Christian.

Some may not understand why I speak openly about Jesus, include Scripture in my work or allow my faith to guide my decisions.

But Jesus is not simply one part of my life.

He is Lord over my life.

My obedience cannot be determined by whether people agree with me.

It must be determined by whether I am following Christ and submitting to the truth of God’s Word.

Faith Without Seeing the Outcome

One of the most difficult parts of obedience is moving forward without knowing the outcome.

We often want God to show us the entire plan before we agree to take the first step.

We want confirmation that the work will succeed, people will respond positively and our efforts will produce visible results.

But faith does not always come with advance knowledge.

Second Corinthians 5:7 reminds us that we walk by faith rather than by sight.

For we live by faith, not by sight.

Faith says, “Lord, I do not see how this will work, but I trust You.”

Faith says, “I do not know who will receive this message, but I will share what You have placed on my heart.”

Faith says, “I cannot control the response, but I can be obedient.”

Faith says, “I do not need to know the outcome because I know the One directing my steps.”

The Holy Spirit does not always reveal the entire journey.

Sometimes He gives us enough light for the next step and asks us to trust the Father with everything beyond it.

That kind of faith requires surrender.

It requires releasing our desire to control how people respond, how quickly something grows or whether our obedience produces the outcome we imagined.

Our responsibility is obedience. The outcome belongs to God.

Listening for the Holy Spirit’s Direction

I am learning to slow down and listen.

Not every opportunity is an assignment from God.

Not every opinion is wise counsel.

Not every open door is a door the Lord is asking us to walk through.

I need the Holy Spirit to guide my steps.

I need Him to reveal when I am moving from faith and when I am reacting from fear.

I need Him to correct me when pride enters my heart.

I need Him to help me recognize when I am seeking attention instead of seeking to glorify the Father.

Listening to the Holy Spirit requires humility because His direction may not match our plans.

He may tell us to wait when we want to move.

He may tell us to speak when we would rather remain quiet.

He may tell us to release something we worked hard to build.

He may lead us toward an assignment that feels too large for our abilities.

That is why obedience cannot depend on confidence in ourselves.

It must be rooted in confidence in God.

I do not have to know everything. I need to know the One who does.

Grace and Mercy Along the Way

When I say, “Look at what the Lord has done,” I am praising Him because this transformation did not happen through my own strength.

It is the Father’s grace that has carried me.

It is His mercy that has met me when I hesitated, doubted or became distracted by the opinions of others.

It is Jesus who has shown me what obedience looks like.

It is the Holy Spirit who continues to convict, comfort, teach and direct me.

God has been patient with me. He has corrected me without abandoning me.

He has revealed areas of fear while reminding me that I am still loved.

Grace does not excuse disobedience.

Grace teaches us that when we stumble, we can repent, receive forgiveness and continue following Jesus.

I am grateful that God does not require me to have the entire journey figured out before He uses me.

He asks me to trust Him, remain teachable and obey the direction He gives me.

Being About the Great Commission

Overcoming human approval is connected to the Great Commission because fear can keep us from speaking openly about Jesus.

We may be tempted to make our message more comfortable so that no one feels challenged.

We may avoid sharing the truth because we do not want to be judged.

We may wait for perfect conditions before doing what Jesus has already commanded His followers to do.

But the Great Commission is not about building our own name. It is about making Jesus known.

We are called to point people to the Father through the Son.

We are called to make disciples, teach what Jesus commanded and live in a way that demonstrates the truth we proclaim.

This does not mean speaking harshly or treating people as projects.

It means loving people enough to tell them about the One who saves, heals, restores and gives eternal life.

I cannot control whether someone receives the message.

I can only make sure that fear of human opinion does not keep me from sharing it.

Look at What the Lord Has Done

I am still growing.

I am still learning to recognize the voice of the Holy Spirit more clearly.

I am still learning to take steps of faith without demanding to see the outcome first.

I am still learning to place obedience above comfort and God’s approval above human applause.

But I can look back and see that I am not where I once was.

The Father has been faithful.

His grace has sustained me.

His mercy has covered me.

Jesus has continued to call me closer.

The Holy Spirit has continued to direct my steps.

So today, I will not only focus on what still needs to change.

I will stop and praise God for the transformation that has already taken place.

Look at what the Lord has done.

He has helped me loosen my grip on human approval.

He has taught me that obedience is more important than being understood.

He has reminded me that faith does not require seeing the outcome.

He has given me courage to speak about Jesus and participate in the Great Commission.

And I trust that the same God who began this work will remain faithful as I continue walking with Him.

A Prayer of Praise and Surrender

Father, thank You for Your grace and mercy. Thank You for patiently teaching me to seek Your approval above the approval of people.

Forgive me for the times I have allowed fear, rejection or the desire to be liked to interfere with my obedience.

Jesus, help me follow You faithfully. Let my life, words and work point others toward You.

Give me the courage to be about the Great Commission, even when obedience is uncomfortable or misunderstood.

Holy Spirit, direct my steps. Help me hear Your voice clearly, recognize Your correction and trust Your guidance.

Teach me to walk by faith when I cannot see the outcome.

May everything I do glorify the Father.

May my testimony never be about what I accomplished in my own strength, but about what You have done through Your grace.

In Jesus’ name, amen.

Scripture Reflection: Galatians 1:10

Am I living for the approval of people, or am I living as a servant of Christ?