Lover of Approval

[S] John 12:42-43 --

Nevertheless many even of the rulers believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they were not confessing Him, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue; ⁴³for they loved the approval of men rather than the approval of God.

[O] At first I thought this was the typical peer pressure but reading it again, I see a slight different perspective. More so than the pressures of the people around, verse 43 seems to focus on the desire for approval and whether the approval is sought from men or God. So, the choice is on my side even before any "pressure" is applied from the external. Even before anything gets started, if I desire to seek approval from men, then my decisions will be influenced by their values even if they don't try to influence me directly. In a different way to look at it, these people could have stood up for what their gut told them, they would've at least done what pleased God, but they couldn't even stand up for what they believed. Thus they were succumbed into being people pleasers also denying their faith toward God. It's so important how I set my mind in order for me to live out the life that pleases God and for me to stand up for my beliefs.

[A] I see here that how I start each day is going to be significant because if I align my perspective to be pleasing God, then I would live that day accordingly. Even if I am running out the door because I overslept, I need to synchronize my mind to this principle of desiring to please God throughout the day regardless what I run into.

[P] Dear God, make me one that loves to please You and You alone. In Jesus' name. Amen.