God’s approval

Even then, many Jewish authorities believed in Jesus; but because of the Pharisees they did not talk about it openly, so as not to be expelled from the synagogue. They loved human approval rather than the approval of God.            (verses 42,43)

Read John 12:37-50

Talking about Jesus is easy within the environment of the church. Even if your views differ from those of someone else in the Bible study group, you are still both on common ground.

For most of us, though, talking about Jesus is not so easy away from church circles. Speaking about our faith at school, at the social club or at work can be very daunting: we can be labelled naïve, narrow-minded and unintelligent for sticking to something as unfashionable as the message of the cross.

But there’s someone whose approval we always have whenever we share with others something of our love for Jesus, and that’s God himself. Knowing that God is right there with us, nodding and smiling his approval, and helping us along through the power of his Spirit, can mean a lot when our courage begins to fail us.

It can also help us to get our priorities right: God’s approval is ultimately worth far more than the approval of any other person.

Holy Spirit, empower me to speak out and act out my faith in Jesus and my love for him. Amen.

by Grace Simpson, in ‘New Strength for each Day’ (LCA, Openbook, 1998)

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