Thank you for joining me for The CLIMB, Week Three. If you are new to The CLIMB, you can catch up on all the resources provided for you. They include the weekly weekend teachings (sermon replays), weekday podcasts and blogs, and the weekly 4for FRIDAY recommended reads, listens, learnings, gadgets and more. All of these are available at The CLIMB Resource HUB.
If we are to reach the summit of our life’s climb, we cannot depend on and crave the applause of others. We all need encouragement. We desperately need encouragers in our lives. We all need folks that will invest in our lives with a ruthless truthfulness…in love. There are times that we can crave the approval and applause of other people far more than the applause and approval of the Divine. Now the CLIMB is over. The motivation is tainted, and the affirmation is worthless.
Here is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth:
The search for the affirmation, applause, and affection of man, without checking our motivation before the Divine is a fool’s errand. I get it! It feels so good to hear other people compliment you, affirm you, or support you. It’s a drug that offers a high that is unequalled by any other human emotion. We love it. We crave it. And many of us are addicted to it!
Ask yourself this question: Am I more concerned with the words of others, or the pat on the back by the Spirit of God? Get very real, very raw, and extraordinarily vulnerable. Look back on your decision-making processes over the past and let the Divine reveal how hard you are seeking others approval, as compared to the divine presence of the Divine? The only way to get the honest truth to that first question is to ask the Lord to reveal the answer and act on His direction.
A few things to ponder:
- Can people speak the truth – in love – into your life without you responding in defensiveness or anger?
- Do you ever (or often) leverage relationships to get what you want? Especially if it is asking those same relationships to compromise their convictions?
- Compare the time and energy you spend with human relationships versus the time and energy you spend seeking the will of the Divine? If it’s even close, “Houston-We Have a Problem!”
A few steps to get back on the CLIMB with the proper motivation to seek after God’s heart and will for your life:
- After working through the process above, set a change in your daily spiritual routine that will include gratitude, meditation and quietude.
- Share your thoughts on the Divine’s redemptive plan for you with a trusted spouse or friend.
- Never stop speaking with the Divine, as we need our cravings for attention filled with a heart that longs for our Heavenly Father’s attention, direction, and correction.
The Scriptures are pretty stinking clear on this:
John 5:44: No wonder you can’t believe! For you gladly honour each other, but you don’t care about the honour that comes from the one who alone is God.
Galatians 1:10: Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant.
Jeremiah 17:5: This is what the Lord says: “Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans, who rely on human strength and turn their hearts away from the Lord.
Get Your Climb On Track! Seek the APPLAUSE of the DIVINE!
And how about those Atlanta Falcons?
–Chuck
