Seal of Approval

John 6:29

Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.”

Growing up, I would always be with my dad. I would go on business trips and visit other businesses men with him. I looked up at him so much. This man had no formal education, coming from a poor family that had to go to school with no shoes on his feet. Here, he stood as an entrepreneur among so many others. This is a man who was a carpenter and mason by trade. Yet he was able to get to do so much.

During my teenage years, a disconnection occurred between my dad and me. I wanted approval from this man. I could not accept that I was not recognized. Not only that, but I felt like I was always chasing behind him to catch up to his legacy. I wanted so much to make him proud and not disappoint him. I was failing everything. Furthermore, I was trying to be what I believed my father needed me to be.

Today, I am a husband, dad, son, brother, and pastor. I am approved!

I am not approved of because of anything I have done or could have done. I stand approved because of my unshakable belief that Jesus Christ died for me and rose from the dead.

There was nothing I had to do. There was no particular task, education, or career that I needed to complete.

In this natural world, there may be many expectations from others. Sometimes, we must jump through hoops to be noticed. We often conform to others’ desires to be accepted. Deviating ends it. If a relationship is based on conditions, it will face struggles or come to an end.

The word of God says in John 6:29 that all we need to do is believe!

That is the only required prerequisite our Father God in Heaven requires of us. Believe in His Son Jesus, the messiah that he has sent.

Do not believe because your mother or the pastor said you should. Do not believe because you want to fit in and not sound like a heathen. You should not believe in Him because your grandmamma took you to church every Sunday. Do not believe because you think that will keep you from going to hell.

You may be missing the bigger picture of the simple plan of salvation if these are your reasons. Allow me to enlighten you with the significance and beauty of this divine plan that offers redemption and eternal life. It is an absolute fact that He sent His one and only son to ensure that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life. It is imperative to understand that Jesus was not sent to judge the world, but to save it.

I want to encourage you to recognize that God does not need any special conditions for approval. No man has blessed you. No man has provided for you. It is all by the hand of God.

Today, find peace in believing for yourself, not for others or power. Believe in Jesus Christ as Lord, the only path to eternal life. To a life where you will never thirst or hunger again because he will meet every need. He is the bread of life!

Embrace a life where your unwavering belief makes the Father’s will perfect in and through you.