WEDNESDAYS DEVOTION :)

[Guest guest]

FROM: THE SEARCH FOR SIGNIFICANCE DEVOTIONAL

BY ROBERT S. MCGEE

CONDITIONAL APPROVAL

HIS SPEECH WAS SMOOTHER

THAN BUTTER,

BUT HIS HEART WAS WAR;

HIS WORDS WERE SOFTER THAN

OIL,

YET THEY WERE DRAWN

SWORDS.

_______________________PSALM 55:21

MY DESIRE FOR THE APPROVAL OF OTHERS HAS OFTEN BEEN SO GREAT THAT I

SOMETIMES JOKE ABOUT HAVING BEEN BORN AN " APPROVAL ADDICT. " GROWING UP,

I HAD THE FEELING THAT I DIDN'T FIT IN; THAT I WAS " DIFFERENT " FROM

OTHERS; THAT THERE WAS, THEREFORE, SOMETHING INHERENTLY WRONG WITH ME. I

FELT INADEQUATE AND TRIED TO WIN THE APPROVAL OF OTHERS, DESPERATELY

HOPING THAT THIS WOULD COMPENSATE FOR THE NEGATIVE FEELINGS I HAD ABOUT

MYSELF.

BUT IRONICALLY, THE CONDITIONAL APPROVAL OF OTHERS WAS NEVER ENOUGH

TO SATISFY ME. INSTEAD, BEING PRAISED ONLY REMINDED ME OF THE

DISAPPROVAL I MIGHT ENCOUNTER IF I FAILED TO MAINTAIN WHAT I HAD

ACHIEVED. I WAS THUS COMPELLED TO WORK EVEN HARDER AT BEING SUCCESSFUL.

I OCCASIONALLY FIND MYSELF FALLING INTO THIS PATTERN OF BEHAVIOR EVEN

NOW, DESPITE MY IMPROVED KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE, AND RELATIONSHIP WITH

GOD.

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TO SEE HOW OTHERS' EXPECTATIONS CAN AFFECT YOU, ANSWER THE FOLLOWING:

_________ WOULD BE MORE PLEASED WITH ME IF I WOULD:

__________ IS PROUD OF ME WHEN I:

HOW DOES ___________ ATTEMPT TO GET ME TO CHANGE BY WHAT HE (OR SHE)

SAYS AND DOES?

THINGS I DO OR SAY TO GET ____________ TO APPROVE OF ME INCLUDE:

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DEAR GOD, PLEASE HELP ME TO APPLY YOUR TRUTHS IN MY EVERYDAY LIFE BY .

.. . . .

GENTLEHUGS AND PRAYERS

SAM