God's Faithfulness: Does He Applaud Our Belief?

The Bible says that every man will have the applause of God and that God's approval is not in material blessings but rather in the sacrifices that we make for the kingdom of God. While the Bible does not address the topic of applause in worship services, it does state that God's approval is what we should seek. This is because seeking the applause of men can cause us to miss the approval of God and robs the glory from God.

God's approval is eternal, unlike the fleeting applause of men

The Bible says, "Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you" (Luke 6:26). This serves as a warning against seeking the approval and applause of men, as it can cause us to miss out on God's approval, which is eternal and far more valuable.

The applause of men is fleeting and short-lived. It is often based on power, authority, and connections, which can be misused and lead people away from God. Jesus himself faced rejection and ridicule, and so will his followers. Therefore, our focus should not be on seeking the applause of men but on pleasing God and glorifying Him.

God's approval is based on the sacrifices we make for His kingdom and the purity of our motives. It is eternal and surpasses any human applause. As believers, our priority should be to serve Him and live holy, consecrated, dedicated, and obedient lives.

We should strive to do our best to thank God and advance the Gospel, even if our efforts go unrecognized by others. God sees everything, and His approval is what we should desire. He will personally thank and applaud those who have lived right before Him and have a pure heart.

The proper view of self is found in the middle ground between arrogance and self-loathing. It is a God-secure self-worth based on our identity as His children. Worship helps us achieve this proper posture by lifting our eyes off ourselves and setting them on God, who deserves all honour and glory.

We should make God the focus of our worship, offering Him our everyday lives as an offering and giving Him standing ovations. He is a holy and powerful Saviour, who has never taken His eyes off us and is worthy of our praise.

God's approval is more valuable than the praise of men

Seeking God's approval over the praise of men is a common theme in Christianity. The Bible contains several warnings against seeking the approval of men, as this can cause us to miss out on God's approval.

God's approval is eternal

The applause of men is fleeting, but God's applause lasts for eternity. God's approval is not dependent on material blessings but on the sacrifices we make for His kingdom.

God looks at the heart

God values the disposition of our hearts and our willingness to sacrifice over material offerings. In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus praises a poor widow who gives a small offering, recognising her total detachment from material possessions and her confidence in God's providence.

Pride and vanity

Jesus often warns His disciples about self-righteousness, pride, and vanity, and how these can lead people away from God. The Pharisees, for example, loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. They demanded respect and used their power and authority to oppress others.

Seeking God's approval

To seek God's approval, we must surrender our desire for the approval of men, start and end our days with God, read the Bible, and pray continuously. We must also be bold and courageous, like Jesus, and involve the right people in our lives—those who support our desire to seek God's approval.

God's approval is most valuable

God's approval is the ultimate reward

In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus often warns his disciples about self-righteousness, pride, and vanity, and how these could lead a person away from God. Jesus was often at odds with the Pharisees and scribes of his time because they gloated in their power and authority, and used their "titles" to assert dominance and gain favors.

Jesus praises a poor widow who, despite her meager offering of "two small coins", gave with a generous heart, mindful of God's goodness. Her offering was not about the amount but about her disposition and detachment from material possessions, and her confidence in God's providence.

The world often glorifies power, authority, and titles, but the Gospel reminds us that God's approval is found in the sacrifices we make for His kingdom. It is about having faith in God, loving God, and caring for others. When we genuinely try to do these things, we have His love and approval, which is far more valuable and eternal than the fleeting applause of men.

The applause of men is short-lived and soon forgotten, but God's applause lasts for eternity. God sees everything, and He knows our hearts and our motives. He will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and will make manifest the counsels of our hearts (1 Corinthians 4:5). On the day of judgment, when we stand before God and give an account of our lives, He will reward those who have lived holy, consecrated, dedicated, and obedient lives.

God's approval should be our ultimate desire and motivation. We should strive to please Him and glorify Him in all that we do, not seeking the applause of men but the applause of God, which is the ultimate reward.

God's approval is not about you, but about glorifying Him through your life

In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus often warns his disciples about self-righteousness, pride, and vanity, and how these human tendencies can lead one away from God. Jesus was often critical of the Pharisees and scribes of his time, who exhibited vanity, ambition, and the obsession to dominate. They demanded respect and used their power and authority to oppress others.

Jesus teaches that God's approval is not about material blessings but about the sacrifices we make for the kingdom of God. In the Gospel, Jesus praises a poor widow who, despite her meagre offering of "two small coins", gave with a generous heart, mindful of God's goodness. Jesus recognises her total detachment from material wealth and her confidence in God's providence.

The world often glorifies power, authority, and titles, and it is easy to fall into the trap of seeking the approval of others. However, the Bible teaches that it is better to have God's approval than the applause of the world. This is because God's approval is eternal and far surpasses any temporary praise we may receive from people.

The apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 4:5 that "a day is coming when we will give an account for our lives". On that day, if we have lived holy, consecrated, dedicated, and obedient lives, we will receive praise from the Lord Himself. It will be as if He rises to His feet to give a standing ovation!

Our focus should not be on seeking the approval or applause of others, but on glorifying God in all that we do. We should strive to live in such a way that our lives cause others to celebrate Jesus. This means doing everything for His glory so that He will be the one celebrated.

Worship is a powerful way to keep God at the centre of our lives and to give Him the honour and praise He deserves. Through worship, we lift our eyes off ourselves and set them on God, recognising His greatness, power, glory, and majesty.

By seeking to glorify God in our lives and worship, we can find the proper posture of humility and gratitude, knowing that we are deeply valued by Him.

Worshipping God humbles the smug and lifts the deflated

Worshipping God is an act of humility. It is a reminder that we are not the highest power, and that there is something greater than us.

In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus often warns his disciples about self-righteousness, pride, and vanity, and how these could lead a person away from God. Jesus criticises the Scribes for their obsession with dominance and their desire to be seen as superior. They wore long robes to set themselves apart and expected respect from others.

However, Jesus praises a poor widow who, despite her poverty, gives generously to the Temple ministry. Her heart is in the "right place", and Jesus recognises her total detachment and confidence in God's providence. She does not seek the approval of people, but of God, and she receives it.

The world often glorifies power, authority, and titles, and it is easy to get caught up in seeking the approval of others. But the Gospel reminds us that it is better to have God's approval than the world's applause.

Worshipping God helps us to realign our focus and remember what is truly important. It is a way to express our gratitude and admiration for the ultimate source of all strength and power.

Worship also has the power to transform us. It can humble the proud and lift up the downtrodden. When we worship God, we acknowledge our dependence on Him and recognise that everything we have comes from Him. This can be a corrective to both arrogance and self-loathing, reminding us that our true worth comes from being children of God.

Worshipping God is a way to express our love and adoration for Him, and it is also good for us. It helps us to keep a proper perspective on ourselves and the world, and it reminds us of God's greatness and our need for Him.

So let us worship God with our whole beings, offering Him our strength and our uniqueness, and giving Him the honour and glory He deserves.

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