Surrendering Approval and Comparison
(Day 1)
In the “church bubble,” it is not uncommon to hear people say things like, “the only opinion that matters is Jesus’” or “the world just doesn’t understand Christianity.” While there is a little truth to that, there is something much greater at work. Most of us can probably agree that we have found satisfaction or bitterness or pride or insecurity…or all of the above when we compare ourselves to someone else. Maybe they have more Bible verses memorized, they are popular, they have a strong home life, or they are loved by everyone. It’s also easy for us to seek the approval of others to give us confidence in ourselves and our actions. Seeking the approval of others and constantly comparing ourselves to other people is not only biologically mentally unhealthy, but it can spiritually drag us away from God as we chase idolized opinions of others. What can happen when we chase these opinions is dangerous - the opinions of others control our actions.
Psychologist Abraham Maslow once said, “Be independent of the good opinion of other people.” This means that your mental status should not rely on what others say of you, either good or bad. If we are independent (not reliant upon) other’s opinions and not chasing their approval, we can focus on the one opinion that does matter: God’s.
Paul understood the importance of this when he wrote to the church in Galatia. He warns them about people who might distort the Gospel and says in Galatians 1:10: “For am I now seeking the favor of people, or of God? Or am I striving to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.”
Essentially, he says that his goal is not to please others, but God. To do this, he preached the true Gospel and was obedient to God’s calling on his life.
We see another example of one living independently of the opinions of others in 2 Samuel 6. King David led armies of Israel back to Jerusalem after recovering the Ark of the Covenant and now he got to bring it home. This narrative shows the opinions of two very different characters.
Read 2 Samuel 6:17-23.
Reflection Questions
What was David doing when the Ark was brought into Jerusalem?
How did Michal react when she saw David?
Why do you think David didn’t care what others thought while he worshiped?
Why is it significant that David said he was celebrating before the Lord, not before people?
Who do you compare yourself to or seek the approval of in your life?
Are you more likely to act like David or Michal when it comes to worshipping God? Why?
What is one way you could worship or obey God boldly this week?
What would change if your goal was to honor God instead of impress people?
Surrendering Shame
(Day 2)
We all have a past. Sometimes, it is an ugly past. Bad things happened to you or maybe you did bad things to others. Regardless of whose fault it was…it can be something you are ashamed of. Something you keep tucked away that very few people know about. Something you don’t want people to find out. Something that makes you you but is so embarrassing or ugly you don’t think you could be looked at the same way if people knew the truth.
Psalm 34:5 says “Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed.”
Think about it, those who look to the Lord are radiant, reminding us that seeking him will not fill us with shame, but rather joy and confidence in the Lord.
It is not easy to forget our past and certainly, we shouldn’t. Although it may not be pretty, there are lessons to be learned of what not to do and there is wisdom gained through your experiences. However, Scripture says that “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
If you have surrendered your life to Jesus, then you are a new creation; your past self is gone. If you seek Jesus, you are a creature who should not be ashamed. Your past does not define you, He does.
Read Romans 8:1-8.
Reflection Questions
According to Romans 8:1, what is true for those who are in Christ Jesus?
What does Paul say the Spirit sets us free from?
Why do you think people still feel ashamed even after God forgives them?
Is there something in your past that still tries to define you?
What would change in your life if you truly believed there is “no condemnation” for you in Christ?
How can focusing on God help replace shame with confidence in Him?
Surrendering your Future
(Day 3)
Looking to the future and trying to figure out how to maximize happiness, wealth, careers, and so on can be a truly stressful practice! What decisions you make now might impact you twenty years down the road. Our sinful nature desires to control this. Scripture constantly tells us that our life should reflect a trust in God and his path for our future.
Around 1020 BC, King David’s son, Absalom rebelled against him. He tried to overthrow the throne and was successful in taking over Jerusalem, gathering the support of the people. David and his supporters had no choice but to flee. When they did, one of the priests, Zadok, was with David and brought the Ark of the Covenant with him, taking it from the city where Absalom now ruled. David confronted him and told him the Ark of the Covenant should go back to the city.
He makes a comment to Zadok that shows just how his faith in God shaped how he surrendered his future to the true King.
Read 2 Samuel 15:25-26. The king said to Zadok, “Return the ark of God to the city. If I find favor in the sight of the Lord, then He will bring me back again and show me both it and His habitation. But if He should say thus, ‘I have no delight in you,’ behold, here I am, let Him do to me as seems good to Him.”
King David was the rightful king of Israel. He had every right to rally an army and storm back into Jerusalem and conquer his rebellious son. But he didn’t. He chose to trust. He chose surrender. This decision had to be very difficult as David was likely filled with emotions of anger, hurt, betrayal, and maybe even self-pity. Ultimately he chooses to surrender these emotions and his actions to let God work. He trusted God’s plan.
Read Proverbs 16:2-3.“All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight, but the Lord weighs the motives. Commit your works to the Lord and your plans will be established.”
Reflection Questions
When you think about your future, what worries or pressures tend to take control of your thoughts?
Why do you think humans naturally want to control their future instead of trusting God with it?
According to Proverbs 16:2–3, what does God evaluate that people often overlook?
What would it practically look like for you to “commit your plans to the Lord” this week?
Is there an area of your future you are trying to control instead of trusting God with? What would surrender look like there?
What stands out to you most about David’s response when he fled Jerusalem?
What does David’s statement in 2 Samuel 15 reveal about his view of God’s authority?
Surrendering your Habits
(Day 4)
Jesus is King. This is not an unfamiliar phrase to anyone who’s been in Scripture or around other believers. But how do we apply it in a way that is more than just a mantra for a hoodie or Instagram bio? In America today, it is hard for us to comprehend the idea of a king and how he would impact a person’s day to day life. However, for the majority of history, civilization operated under king-like rulers. It was normal until the last few hundred years.
Knowing that we are innately sinful people, it is easy for us to put our life on the throne. We live as if we are our own gods and we try to control our lives by forming habits and practices that identify us. Maybe your habit is doomscrolling. Maybe it’s a die-hard dedication to a sport or hobby. Maybe it’s a mindset that harms yourself and others. Maybe…it’s a habit of surrendering daily to what God will call you to do. Your habits reveal who you truly believe to be on the throne of your life.
We have the freedom to live our lives the way we choose, with consequences that come from our own choices. When living under kingship, a person’s life was very different. We must adopt the old mindset of having a king in order for us to truly surrender our lives and our daily habits to God.
Psalm 47:7-8 says “For God is the King of all the earth; Sing praises with understanding. God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne.”
If God is King, then you are a slave. If you are a slave, then your life is not your own and everything you do should be done to benefit the king and bring him glory.
Surrendering your habits means letting God interrupt your habits and change your priorities.. It means asking yourself not “What do I feel like doing?” but “What would honor my King?”
Reflection Questions
What does it actually mean for God to be King?
Why do habits reveal who is really in charge of our lives?
What habits currently shape most of your day?
Which of your habits bring you closer to God?
Which habits distract you from Him?
Is there a habit you know God wants you to surrender?
What would your life look like in six months if you surrendered your habits to Him?
Surrendering your Habits
(Day 5)
Have you ever prayed to God, begging for an answer or a sound or a sign and felt like you heard nothing? Did a bad situation continue despite crying out to the Lord for help? This is an experience that can be extremely hard to handle. It might be easy to ask the question if God is this loving King, why doesn’t he answer? The Bible provides several examples of believers who faced silent periods and in them, learned to trust God and surrender their lives to him.
Job experienced this during his lifetime. In the oldest book of the Bible, we see a narrative where Job experienced great trials: loss of livelihood, animals, children, physical health, and a tension-filled marriage. He battled with himself over trusting God.
Read Job 30:16-20.
“And now my soul is poured out within me;
Days of affliction have seized me.
17 “At night it pierces my bones within me,
And my gnawing pains take no rest.
18 “By a great force my garment is distorted;
It binds me about as the collar of my coat.
19 “He has cast me into the mire,
And I have become like dust and ashes.
20 “I cry out to You for help, but You do not answer me;
I stand up, and You turn Your attention against me.
This is a sobering passage that makes it seem as if God turned his back on Job. The silence he experienced changed when he boldly confronted God and God responded back, with Job ending the dialogue with “My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you.” (Job 42:5a)
In seasons of silence, God is still working and he may be teaching you something. It could be a lesson in faith, discipline, or patience.
King David also faced seasons of silence and responded by surrendering his life and actions to God while remaining hopeful that God would communicate when it was the right time.
Read Psalm 27:13-14. “I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”
Reflection Questions
Why do you think God sometimes allows His people to experience silence?
What is the difference between God being silent and God being absent?
How are Job’s and David’s responses to silence similar? How are they different?
When God feels silent, what is your natural reaction—trust, frustration, distraction, doubt?
What is something in your life right now that requires you to “wait for the Lord”?