The Endorsement That Matters

Chuckle: "Middle age is when you choose your cereal for the fiber, not the toy."

Quote: "Praise, my soul, the King of heaven, To His feet thy tribute bring." --Henry Frances Lyte

"This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!" (Matthew 17:5 NIV)

Endorsements are important to us in many ways. When politicians are running for office, they value the endorsements of large newspapers, other prominent groups and influential leaders. It adds credibility to their candidacies when a long list of endorsements have been given them. Likewise, when a person is looking for a job, it helps if letters of recommendation accompany his or her resume. We depend on the opinions of others to help us gain the respect, approval and support we desire.

When Jesus was ministering here on earth, His identity was a major topic of conversation. Not everyone accepted His credentials as the promised Messiah. On the contrary, many not only did not believe He was who He said He was, but some even accused Him of blasphemy and being a representative of Satan.

Jesus' closest disciples had accepted Him as the Son of God and wanted others to believe as well. When Christ was transfigured before Peter, James and John, He was seen conversing with two giants of faith, Moses and Elijah (Matthew 17:1-13). In the minds of the disciples, this experience served as a powerful convincing endorsement of Jesus and solidified their confidence in His identity. As a result, it's no surprise that they wanted to tell everyone about it.

But, in our passage, the only endorsement that really mattered to Jesus was the one from God, His Father. This should be true in our own lives. As Christians, our service should be to please God, not other people. Of course, it makes us feel good when fellow Christians give us their endorsement with kind words of praise and encouragement. But the receipt of such accolades should not be our motivation for service. Like Jesus, we should only be concerned about doing the will of the Father, even if the praise of other people does not come. Perhaps these words from Paul will put endorsements in the proper perspective.

"Obviously, I'm not trying to be a people pleaser! No, I am trying to please God. If I were still trying to please people, I would not be Christ's servant" (Galatians 1:10 NLT).

 

Each of us should ask, "who am I trying to please when I render service to others?" Let's commit ourselves to seeking the approval of our Lord in all we do because, after all, His approval (endorsement) is the only one that really matters.

 

Love, Jerry & Dotse