Have you ever met a man that makes you want to be a better woman?
Usually people say that when they’re looking for a future spouse; someone that calls them to a higher excellence. Well, I’ve found that.
I found that in the men on my squad.
For those of you who really know me, you know I struggle with gaining approval from man. Not necessarily the approval from women, but simply, having a man approve of me. It all started at a young age when I wanted my dad to praise me in everything I did. I probably wasn’t exactly the daughter he wanted. I wasn’t super sporty. I wasn’t valedictorian of my class. I felt like I was everything he didn’t want. Instead of going out for sports in high school, I would go spend hours at my dance studio, perfectly the art of ballet and tap. Instead of pouring over thick science and math books, I would instead pour out my passion for singing in a practice room.
I didn’t know I had this struggle until I came on the World Race. One day, I was reading through Galatians and the LORD brought my eyes to the verse “For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man I would not be a servant of Christ.”
Jesus stirred my heart in that moment. My daughter, you’ve been living like this.
Wait, wait, wait, Jesus. That’s not possible. I don’t care what people think of me! Or do I? Have I been living in such a way that it is my goal to make the men in my life happy? This was a shock. I wouldn’t be a servant of Christ if this was the way I was living! I started questioning every big decision I’ve made in my life: what college I should attend, what I would major in at said college, what type of men I should date, what I should do after I graduate, and the list went on. I had this huge weight on my back that I didn’t even realize I was carrying.
And that is where the men on my squad come in. They have shown me that it doesn’t matter what I did before the Race or the type of woman I was. They have actually done this for every woman on my squad. They don’t care about where we’ve been; they only care about where we’re going and what our Father is doing through us. They know we come from broken backgrounds and faltering walks, but they have been there on the Race to encourage and build us up every step of the way. They do this because they are listening to our Father. The Father’s voice is the only one we should abide by-it’s the only one that matters. And the men on my squad have helped me to realize this. They make me want to be a better woman in Christ.
My earthly father is one of the greatest men I’ve known. He is beyond brilliant. He has one of the most giving hearts of anyone I know. He is the first person I call when I have car trouble or when I have a financial query. I trust my dad with my life because I know he trusts Jesus with his life. I honestly couldn’t have asked for a better man to call my daddy. But when it comes down to it, my Heavenly Father is the one I must listen to. He is the One I must please with what I say and what I do. He is the best Father anyone could ask for, because He was the first Father and he will be the last Father.
He is the kind of Father from whom I want to seek approval.
Whose voice are you listening to?
