Seeking Approval

Sometimes we just have to know when to shut up.

As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, 'Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?' Jesus said to him, 'Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments:"You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honor your father and mother."' He said to him, 'Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.'  Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, 'You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.' When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions. - Mark 10:17-22

If only the young man had stopped when he got his answer, he could have left feeling good about himself.  But, no.  He had to press Jesus farther.  What did he want Jesus to say?

Did he want want to know what he should do, or was he trying to get approval for how good he was already?

When we are looking for approval, we might just be disappointed with the outcome. 

Humility doesn't seek approval.  It assumes there is always more that can be done, always room for improvement.  That is what the man lacked.  He wasn't willing to go farther down the path.  He was content where he was, and was looking for assurances that he had done a good job.

But Jesus had warned him from the start that only God is good.  In other words, Jesus was humble, and he showed the man through example, what he expected the man to exhibit.

In that, the man failed.  He couldn't be humble.

In this age of selfies and social media posts, we are surrounded by people seeking approval, seeking recognition for the things they do, the places they go, the people they hang with.  Why?  What is lacking in their lives that they need approval from total strangers?

When we read this story, we think it is all about wealth, and in the words that follow, Mark has Jesus tell his disciples it is nearly impossible for the rich to enter God's Kingdom, but is it about wealth or the burden that comes with needing things?

As we get closer to the hour of our death, how much will these things be worth to us?

So, I think we should practice humility and seek not approval, but instead, closeness to God.  We do that by sharing with others.  Forget the selfies.

More to come...