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‘He had this testimony, that he pleased God.’ Hebrews 11:5 NKJV

When you grow up with rejection, it can show up as a need to isolate and withdraw or feeling like you constantly have to ‘prove yourself’. One man said it like this: ‘I can still hear my father yelling, telling me I’d never be any good, never amount to anything. The more he yelled, the more determined I became to prove him wrong.’ Are the wrong voices speaking to you? If they are—read on!

The Bible says Enoch ‘had this testimony, that he pleased God.’ How? ‘By faith.’ (Hebrews 11:5 NKJV) God sees you differently from how your parents or peers do. Their acceptance is often based on your performance, whereas God’s acceptance is based on your position.

Paul writes, ‘God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us… that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.’ (2 Corinthians 5:21 NIV) God sees us wrapped in the righteousness of Christ; therefore, we’re always acceptable. That doesn’t mean you don’t work hard; it means working for the right reasons. Instead of striving for God’s approval, you serve Him out of gratitude.

Once you know that your identity and worth aren’t tied to the grades you get in school or what your friends think of you , it changes your motivation. Instead of being concerned about how many likes you have on social media, , you become concerned about including everyone. Instead of focusing on getting straight A’s, , your focus becomes doing your best for God. Instead of worrying about what everyone else thinks of you, your goal becomes demonstrating excellence and integrity. In other words, instead of just working hard, you’re doing it for the right reasons.

SoulFood: Josh 1:7–8 2 Tim 3:14–17

word4today an adaptation of The Word For Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright 2024

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