The Prison of Approval
Performance Isn’t Your Calling
"If you need encouragement, praise, pats on the back from everybody, then you make everybody your judge."— Fritz Perls
We all need encouragement—it lifts, fuels, and affirms us.
But when we start craving approval like oxygen, we stop breathing in God’s truth and start suffocating under people’s opinions.
It’s sneaky. What starts as seeking support can quickly become needing permission. And once we start performing for applause, we’ll fear the silence more than disobedience.
The Trap We Build Ourselves
When we rely on people to constantly affirm our worth, we give them a role they were never meant to fill: judge, jury, and identity dispenser.
Instead of standing on the truth of who God says we are, we start pacing in a prison of opinions—trying to read faces like scripture and decode texts like prophecy.
“For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.”
— Galatians 1:10 (ESV)
Jesus didn’t die so we could be enslaved to group chats and comment sections.
Performance Isn’t Your Calling
God didn’t call you to perform for people. He called you to walk with Him. And sometimes that walk will lead you through places where people don’t cheer—because obedience doesn’t always trend.
But take heart: His approval isn’t something you earn, it’s something He gave freely through Jesus. You’re not auditioning for His affection—you already have it.
“The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.”
— Proverbs 29:25
Reflection
Where am I more concerned with being liked than being led by God?
In what ways have others' opinions influenced my sense of identity?
What would change if I lived from God’s approval instead of striving for man’s?
Prayer
Father, I confess how easily I seek approval from people instead of anchoring my identity in You. Set me free from the need to perform. Help me live for Your smile, not their applause. Teach me to trust Your Word over every whisper of opinion. I belong to You—and that’s enough. In Jesus’ name, amen.