Proverbs 27.2
“Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips.”
Many people live in search of the approval of others. It is a disastrous way to go about life. This verse is an admonition to humility and a warning against self-promotion. We should work to be productive, not popular. Our motivation should not be the praise of people, our motivation should be the desire to be faithful to God.
The world is motivated to perform in order to gain approval or avoid criticism. In reaction to the image-driven, competitive environment in which we live and work, many people seek their identity based on how they are perceived. If they gain approval and are praised by people, they feel good about themselves. If they are criticized or ignored, they feel bad about themselves.
Sometimes this mindset is self-inflicted; other times it is the result of external expectations and pressure; much of the time it is a combination of both. But if we are constantly seeking to portray a certain image and allow our identity and self-concept to be tethered to the approval of others, eventually we will suffer emotionally and spiritually.
Jesus calls us to a different way of living and working. In God’s design, our identity is not found in how we perform, what we achieve, or how we are perceived; rather, our identity is found in our relationship with the Lord. That does not mean that our effort and performance don’t matter. In God’s kingdom, we work and perform and achieve, but we do so because of who we are in Christ. In his kingdom we are not defined by our public image or personal brand; we are defined by who we are in Christ.
You can err at either end of the performance spectrum. If you are a Christian and you think that performance doesn’t matter, you are making a mistake. If you are a Christian and you think that performance is the source of your identity and self-worth, you are also making a mistake.
In Christ, the “why” of work and life changes profoundly. Jesus liberates us to work hard at our jobs, striving and giving our best in order to produce results, but without losing our true identity in the blind pursuit of achievement. In Christ, we work diligently not for approval but for fruitfulness, and our effort is driven by faith, directed by truth, and empowered by the Spirit.
When we are secure in Christ, the ego factor is eliminated; so is the fear factor. When we are secure in Christ, we are liberated to work with greater focus and effort, because now our motive is not ego or self-image or approval. Our motive is to serve God and others and to pursue the highest possible standards. The core principle is that God did not design us to derive our identity from our job; rather, he designed us to express our identity through our job.
Do results matter? Yes, but we must see results through the lens of the kingdom, not through the lens of the world. That will be the focus tomorrow.
“Bondservants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.” (Colossians 3.22.25)
