“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." (NIV)

Flip with me for a second to the end of John 21. This passage has always stirred my heart because I think it speaks to the very topic we're digging into for today's devo: our human desire for approval and acknowledgement.  

‍

In this passage, Peter is looking for approval, but instead of looking to Jesus, he's comparing himself to his friends. Can you believe that, as he walks along beside the resurrected Jesus - wow! - he's still looking around at others? He sees John following them, and he's like, yo - what about him? But Jesus reminds Peter to keep his eyes on him alone, saying, "What is that to you? You must follow me" (vs. 22).  

‍

And this week, as we begin considering what the motivation and posture of our hearts should be as we serve and seek to impact this world for Christ, I imagine Jesus saying the same to us: You follow me.

‍

See, in this passage in Matthew, Jesus warns about the temptation to follow other voices of approval in this life. When you give, he says, don't look for approval from man. Don't consider what others around you are doing. Don't seek to be noticed or celebrated for what you do. If we relish in the approval of this world, Jesus says, whatever applause we receive from man will be all we get as a reward.

‍

I imagine, if we were able to freeze time as Peter walked on that beach with Jesus post-resurrection, and we were to ask him which face was more important to look to in that moment - his friend John's or his Lord Jesus' - that he would instantly say Jesus' face was the only one worthy of his focus and attention! And yet, his gaze wandered. Doesn't ours often, too?  

As our gaze wanders to other loves, other authorities, other affirmations, we are forsaking the only approval in this world that really matters. In fact, we're not just delaying it, like a quick glance away and then right back to Jesus. No, we're actually giving it up, Jesus says, trading it in for a cheap knock-off: You've received your reward in full. When we seek the approval of man on this earth for how we act, give, or serve, we are trading in that precious, private approval of our Heavenly Father for seconds of the world's applause. Social media highlights this truth: the approval of man is a vapor, a breath - gone as quickly as it arose.  

‍

So, what's the better way? Jesus tells us, "But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." This isn't a nefarious secrecy, and it isn't that we need to be sneaky little ninjas as we approach the offering box. It's the secrecy, the intimacy, of a singularly-focused gaze on no one else but the Lord.

‍

As we give, serve, and work for the Lord and not for man's approval, this posture Jesus invites us to is one of single-minded focus on the One we're truly working for, giving to, and serving. Could we speak to Peter today, I imagine he'd agree that looking around, worrying about what everyone else is doing or how you're perceived, is just such a waste when you're face-to-face with Jesus!  

‍

You follow me, he says. Don't follow the approval of others. Don't follow comparison. Don't let your gaze wander. Keep your eyes on the One who sees what is done in secret.

Father God, help me to train my eyes on you alone today! I confess that my heart desires the approval of this world, so, Lord, by your Holy Spirit, retrain my heart to desire your approval alone. Search my heart and know what's truly in it, O God. See if there is any way in me that offends or dishonors you and lead me into your everlasting way instead. In Jesus' holy and precious name I cry out to you for your mercy and grace to pour out over my heart of stone. Thank you, Lord!