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Well Done

JodiAugust 20, 2020

I think we all long for approval and acceptance on some level. Everybody has someone they wish would acknowledge them, praise them, accept them or love them. Some people are pretty good at shrugging off their disappointment when it doesn’t happen, but if we’re honest, it hurts to be rejected. Deep down we all have a need for reassurance and a place to belong. The problem is, sometimes we throw our moral compass out the window in our pursuit for this acceptance. We often compromise our values for people or things that have no eternal significance. At the end of the day, we all have a desire for reassurance that ultimately can only come from the only one that truly matters- God.

It has taken me a lot of years to realize this difficult lesson. I have made countless bad decisions and have given up long term joy for short term happiness that comes with that addictive feeling of belonging, even if it is fleeting- which it always is. The more I draw closer to Jesus, the more I understand why things never seem to fit right in this world, no matter how hard I try to force them. Jesus is the only one that can fulfill the deep ache for love, and His opinion of me is the only one that really matters. When I figured this out, I felt like there was a complete paradigm shift in my entire life. Hallelujah! I don’t have to tap dance around trying to make everyone happy anymore! I now understand that if I will just pursue Jesus with my whole heart, everything else falls into place anyway. Jesus knows we struggle and worry about so many things we shouldn’t which is why he told us “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else , and he will give you everything you need. So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the kingdom.” (Luke 12:31-32)

Wow. I am loved, I am accepted, and my heavenly Father wants to give me the KINGDOM. For all the times I have felt not good enough, not pretty enough, not smart enough- THIS, this verse makes me realize I truly am a child of God, an honest to goodness PRINCESS. So who the heck cares about anyone else’s opinion? This world is spinning fast into its own destruction and all I want to do is run to the heavenly kingdom that awaits me, that was created for me, where I will ALWAYS belong. This is where I will look into my Savior’s eyes as he tells me “Jodi, you did a good job. I am so proud of you. Welcome home, I’ve been waiting for you.” What glimpse could be any better? Every trouble, every fear, every ounce of sadness or rejection we have ever felt will melt away in that moment. Can you imagine? We will finally realize why we never totally felt like we fit in this world, why it didn’t “get” us- we weren’t created for it and we don’t need to grieve this world for one second longer. God has promised us so much more and HIS love and acceptance is what we should truly value.

So while we are here on this earth, the only motivating factor we need to do our very best is the longing to hear “Well done, good and faithful servant!” (Matthew 25:23). It should strengthen us and encourage us to press on, to finish this race strong- doing all we can for the Kingdom. I am motivated to keep my eyes straight ahead, not looking to the left or the right or behind me, but moving forward to my reward which is more than any of use could ever imagine and will be the very definition of the word fulfillment. Let’s do this!