On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts.-1 Thessalonians 2:4 (NIV)

There is a world of difference between performing for people's approval, and being free to minister to their needs because you know you already have God's approval. Striving for approval is like any other drug; you can never get enough of it. And like all junkies, you go crazy when its withheld. It places you at the mercy of other people's opinions and, as a result, you live on an emotional roller coaster.

That's not how God wants you to live! Paul was free to speak the truth in love: to confront people or to be gentle with them. When someone told Paul they didn't like him, he didn't lose sleep over it because his security and self-worth weren't built on their acceptance. As he writes they spoke as men approved by God. Paul didn't go around comparing himself with others, he didn't try dominating others or trying to be top dog, or be the one whose always in charge. Knowing he already had God's approval set him free from anxiety and meant he could perform his mission knowing his success rate didn't matter, that as long as he had been obedient to God, the outcome was unimportant.

This was a very different Paul from the individual he had been before his dramatic encounter with Jesus. Paul had always had a zeal and passion to serve God but status had always been important. He had been a Pharisee, one of the best and brightest, who sat and learned at the feet of one of the greatest Rabbinic teachers of his people (among the Pharisees). IT was a radical change for him to realize that Jesus was the Messiah and that status and powere were not important anymore. That to truly please God he had to humble himself as a servant and forget about worldly status altogether. He went from worrying about what others thought of him to not caring about what anyone thought of him except God.

As people age we eventually reach a point where we realize that most people aren't thinking about us at all. They are too busy thinking about themselves - or what we think of them! We reach a point where while we care about others, we don't care about their opinions of us.....as long as you can respect yourself and have God's approval. I have been called an alian and a religious nut, and an old fuddy-duddy. I love them but I don't care, I am a Jesus freak, a religious nut lol...I am a Christian! I therefore follow Christian values and if that makes me a fuddy duddy so be it! I've been called narrow-minded, for being a Christian my answer, "I can afford to be, I'm right! I've been called worse things, I don't care......I will just keep praying for them. It has no say in my eventual destination....so the only one whose opinion matters is God.

Knowing you have God's approval gives you strength to deal with other people's critism, and conflict because you are secuce in your identity. And your identity is as a child of God, redeemed, called and wearing the righteousness of Christ, not your own, so you have His approval. So stop judging others and judging yourself through others eyes, just love them and ignore those being judgemental about you.....pray for them as those persecuting you and remember the only real opinion that matters isn't theirs!