Do you know there's an attempt afoot to steal your worth?
Indeed, there is! If you're wondering what I'm talking about, I'm talking about what the Bible calls the "fear of man."
The fear of man is another term for approval addiction. When we suffer from approval addiction, we look to other people for our sense of worth instead of to God. We look to other people to affirm that we are somebody.
This is a very dangerous thing to do!
Why?
Because no human being can give you your worth. Only God can do that.
And no one can take your worth away from you!
The great news is that God has already given you your worth! He gave it to you the instant He created you.
And He will never take it away from you.
Sad to say, however, many teens look to other people or other things for their sense of worth.
Some girls look to guys to give them worth. Some guys look to girls to give them worth. Some of both genders look to clothes, cars, money, sports, music, popularity, or grades to give them worth.
But the truth is that none of these things will give you worth.
If you're looking to people or things to give you worth, you're not alone. But you are in trouble!
So, why do teens sometimes look to other people or other things for approval? Here are a few reasons:
1. They don't know God created them. They were taught they evolved from a lower form of life and are here by chance. So---they reason---if I'm nothing more than an accident, what worth do I have?
2. They grew up in a home where they did not feel loved and accepted by their fathers. This lack of a father's love left them feeling rejected.
3. They are insecure in who they are, mostly because they don't know who they are. For this reason, they crave the approval of others in order to feel secure.
In each of the above examples, we find a common denominator: A LIE!
In the first example, the lie is that we are here by chance.
In the second example, the lie is that our worth depends on how our earthly fathers treated us.
In the third example, the lie is that security comes from other people or things.
The Bible teaches that all lies come from Satan and calls him "a liar and the father of lies" (John 8: 44). John 10: 10 says this: "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly." The thief is Satan. His goal is to steal from you, to kill you, and to destroy your life. But Jesus came to give you abundant life in every way.
Part of that abundant life Jesus wants to give you is approval. When you receive Him as your Savior and Lord, He accepts you into His family. He gives you His approval as His child. He gives you purpose and security.
So, don't allow Satan to steal your sense of worth. Don't believe his lies. Obey what the Bible says: "Submit to God; resist the devil, and he will flee from you" (James 4: 7). Look to God alone for your worth and get free from approval addiction once and for all!
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Copyright 2019-2021 by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD, MFA. All Rights Reserved.
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