(11) From the Desire of Being Approved, Deliver Me, Jesus
Litany of Humility, Line 6: “From the desire of being Approved, deliver me, Jesus.”
This one slips in quietly.
Not everyone needs applause.
But almost everyone fears rejection.
Some chase approval outright:
• Constantly fishing for compliments
• Asking, “Do you think I did okay?” before the answer’s even needed
• Fixating on likes, responses, or that tiny pause in someone’s tone
Others disguise it better:
• Overachieving to “prove” their worth
• Reading between the lines of every email
• Rehearsing conversations to make sure they sound smart, kind, or holy
But underneath it all is the same fear:
What if I’m not enough? What if they don’t approve?
And worse:
What if they disapprove? What if they think poorly of me?
That’s not humility.
That’s fear—fear dressed up in perfectionism and performance.
😬 The Fear of Shame
At its core, the desire for approval is often a fear of shame.
• Shame that you’ll be seen as foolish, awkward, or annoying.
• Shame that you’ll be exposed as not having it all together.
• Shame that you’re not as spiritual or put-together as people think.
So you try harder. Smile bigger. Edit your words.
You manage people’s perceptions like it’s your full-time job.
But guess what?
Living for approval is exhausting.
And worse… it never satisfies.
You could get a hundred compliments—and the one critique still keeps you up at night.
That’s not freedom.
🚨 Real Life Red Flags
You might be stuck in the desire to be approved if:
• You change your opinion depending on who’s in the room
• You apologize for things just to avoid disapproval
• You dread correction—even gentle or loving correction
• You replay a moment over and over, fearing what they might think
• You can’t feel peace until someone says, “You did good”
That’s not a personality quirk.
That’s a soul craving.
🕊️ What Jesus Offers Instead
Jesus never said, “Well done, good and perfectly approved servant.”
He said:
“Well done, good and faithful servant.”
Faithful.
Not flawless. Not famous. Not fear-free.
Just faithful.
When Jesus delivers you from the need for approval:
• You can speak the truth in love—even if it’s not received well
• You stop obsessing over how you’re perceived
• You stop putting your identity in the hands of other people’s opinions
• You can finally rest in the approval that matters most—His
🙏 A Prayer of Release
Jesus,
You see every part of me—
And You don’t flinch.
You call me beloved, even when I feel broken.
You don’t need me to perform—
You invite me to abide.
Free me from needing to be approved.
Free me from the fear of being disapproved.
Let me walk in truth, love, and holy confidence.
Let me care more about faithfulness than fame.
Amen
Hungry for more?
If you’d like to continue the conversation and grow in fellowship with other believers, come join us in the Facebook group! It’s a space for encouragement, honest discussion, and diving deeper into the topics we explore here. We’d love to have you!