Powerful Statement

"I do not accept praise from men, but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts. I have come in my Father's name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God? -John 5:41-44

            This statement from Jesus is really powerful. I just wanted to give you some food for thought. In the time of Jesus, there were many thought of Messiahs; however, Jesus’s statement is right. Most of them “came in their own name” or someone else declared them as the Messiah. Anyway what I really want to challenge you with is the last verse

How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God? - John 5:44

            What praise are you really searching for? Are you looking for praise from people or a community? As a person, is that what your focus is? Or are you looking for something more? Do you want praise that comes from a higher source? Do you want praise from God? To be frank and as humble as possible, my life’s ambition is to honestly make a difference in this world for God. I struggle with people accepting me, but when I get to heaven I long for God to say “Hey Mark, I know you looked down on yourself, but you tried. Good job.” In the end, God’s approval is truly all that matters in my life. Now if you’re a Christian and reading this devotion, do you have the same aspiration or are you longing for approval from people? If you are not a Christian and reading this, in the end, what good does approval from man have? We are all going to die and in the years after our death, most of us will be forgotten…..