Category Archives: Christian Living

Krystal R Simple explores simple ways to live joyfully as we embrace everyday Christian living.

How Can We Find Joy in the Journey?

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How Can We Find Joy in the Journey?

As I look up today, I see a wooden plaque that hangs on my wall that says, “Find Joy in the Journey.” I bought this hanging at one of the summer festivals last year because I tend to rush through life.

There is a delicate balance between enjoying life and constantly striving for more. Have you ever encountered a person who never seems content? Someone who always seems to be chasing something? Maybe you can relate to this feeling. In reality, I believe that all of us can identify with these sentiments in some way. So, how can we find joy as we journey through life, and what does that entail?

How Can We Find Joy in the Journey

Find Joy in the Journey at Work and Home

We must find joy in the journey at work and home. When we feel stressed and overloaded on the job, being short-tempered, isolated, and unhappy is easy. We often feel like work adds “one more scoop of mashed potatoes” to our already full plate. The problem is that work stress can overtake us if we are not careful. For example, if we bring paperwork home or even think of all the paperwork while we are at home, we are less available for our spouse and kids.

As a mom, wife, or homemaker, even if we choose to stay home and not work outside, we can still find ourselves with a lot of work and very little time. We often have a mix of things we want to do and tasks we must do. For instance, we may need to clean the house, but our child has a project due for school the next day and needs our help. Viewing the project as another thing to add to our already heavy workload can be easy. However, we must be careful with our words and actions as our children may feel like a burden, and as a result, they may choose not to ask for help and end up getting a low grade. We need to remember the acronym LIVE to find joy in both our work and home life.

  • Laugh and smile often.
  • Invest your time and energy wisely.
  • Visualize each day from God’s perspective.
  • Envision each day as written in your biography or eulogy.

Laugh and Smile Often

It’s essential to take time to laugh and smile, no matter what’s going on in our lives. We should choose joy and make it a priority. I recently read an article that explained how laughing and smiling could help reduce stress and improve our well-being. The Bible also talks about the importance of joy as good medicine. Understanding the significance of laughter should motivate us to smile and be happy more often.

A Joyful Heart is good Medicine Scripture

Even when there is no time for anything, we must find something to laugh and smile about. A hug or kiss from a loved one, a smile or funny joke, or anything that makes us laugh can help us remember that living should be full of joy even if it is busy.

Invest Time and Energy Wisely

We all have 24 hours each day and no more. We watch as days turn to weeks, and weeks become months. Years come and go, and our children grow up. We should decide to invest our precious time and energy wisely. When our children are grown, we do not want to regret how we spent the years while they were young. The Bible reminds us that we never know what tomorrow brings and life is short. We must invest time and energy wisely by placing a high priority on enjoying “joy” moments.

yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.

James 4:14 ESV
sick child laying on mom, dad drinking coffee

Visualize Each Day From God’s Perspective

As we set our goals, it’s important to visualize each day from God’s perspective. We should prioritize and ensure that our priorities align with what brings God honor and glory. We know that God would want us to pray and ask for His help rather than worry and be anxious. Doing so can increase our joy when we see how well God works in our favor. God would not want us to misbehave at home or work. Instead, God would want us to be joyful and not overwhelmed.

And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

Mark 12:30-31 KJV

God is love, and He wants us to show love daily. According to Jesus, two commandments are essential: we are to love God and to love others. If we ever have to decide what task to do, we should let love guide us.

So now Faith , hope and love abide ! Corinthians 13:13

Envision Each Day as Written in our Biography or Eulogy

When our days end, no one says, “I wish I would have worked more” or “I wish I would have spent less time with my family.” Whenever we pass away, what will hurt most is knowing that there is no more time with those we love. When we lay our heads down at night, we should think about the good we accomplished related to showing love. Living a life of love will increase our joy and the well-being of others.

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 ESV
Live, Love, Laugh and Find Joy In the Journey

We should live each day as if it were our last, but we should envision each day as written in our biography or eulogy. If someone writes or tells about us, we want to be described as loving, cheerful, hard-working people, not irritable, rude, or impatient.

A Prayer to Make The Most of Today

We know that each day is a gift. No one knows how many days they will be on this earth. Let us bow our heads in prayer and ask God to give us the strength and wisdom to live today to the fullest, according to His will. Let’s pray to make the most of today.

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A Prayer To Make The Most Of Today and find joy

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Tame Your Tongue and Guard Your Thoughts

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Tame Your Tongue and Guard Your Thoughts

As Christian adults, we must tame our tongues and guard our thoughts to speak and think words that build up and not tear down. We must use life-giving words and guard our thoughts to protect ourselves from feeling torn down if we hear negative words.

When I was a kid, we were taught not to let the words of others affect our lives. At any given time on the playground, you could hear, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.”  As I watch my children grow up, society has become more aware of the harmful effect that the words of others can have, and we now name this behavior “bullying.”

Tame Your Tongue and Guard Your Thoughts

Words matter. The words we speak and hear can build up and “speak life,” or they can steal our joy and “speak death.” The Bible compares the tongue to fire (James 3:6). Like fire, spoken words can cause destruction. We must learn to tame our tongues and guard our thoughts, but how?

How Do We Tame Our Tongue?

When we think of someone having a “potty mouth,” we mostly think of people who say curse words. The Bible speaks about many different ways to tame our tongues. Here are a few items from the biblical list.

  • Lying
  • Arguing
  • Complaining
  • Gossipping
  • Boasting
  • Betraying
  • Judging

The Bible tells us that we need to keep our tongues and mouth. We know we need to do better, but so often, exaggerations, half-truths, arguments, complaints, gossip, bragging, and boasting seem to fall out of our mouths.

Consider the Reason Behind Our Communications

Someone said we must “taste our words before we spit them out.” We may keep ourselves out of trouble if we slow down to consider the reason behind our communications. Looking at the list above, we can be tempted to lie, argue, complain, gossip, or boast because of pride. None of these communications are helpful to others and do not bring glory or honor to our heavenly Father.

Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble scripture

We Need to Be Slow To Speak

When we talk without considering the consequences, we can speak recklessly. It’s essential to take responsibility for our words and recognize their power. Our communication can uplift and heal others, so we must be mindful of what we say. Unfortunately, we often see much hate and people speaking without thinking. Christians should strive to demonstrate self-control and honor our faith in every situation.

“The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing“

Proverbs 12:18 NIV

We Need To Pray Before We Speak

It is not easy to watch what we say. The Bible says the tongue is unruly and poisonous (James 3:8 KJV). The only way that we can do better is to ask God to help us. We should pray and ask God to speak through us at the beginning of each day.

I work with children with speech difficulty, so my daily prayer is that I lovingly encourage them as they learn to speak clearly. I ask God to work through me so that my words and actions represent Him and bring honor and glory to His name. I also ask God to help me know when to speak and be quiet. Sometimes, silence is what is best.

Tame Your Tongue with pleasant words

How to Guard Our Thoughts

Although we are watching what we say to others, inevitably, sometimes we are faced with some not-so-kind words spoken to us or about us. Not only do we have to relinquish our desire to get even in retaliation. We must know how to guard our thoughts to protect ourselves from negativity.

Tame Your Tongue and Guard Your Thoughts Proverbs Scripture 2

Whenever someone says something to hurt us, we must learn to let go and let God. That may sound difficult, but we must only hold on to God’s words and let everything else be untrue. The Bible reminds us of the only thoughts that should occupy our headspace.

“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”

Phillipians 4:8 KJV

A Prayer to Tame Our Tongue and Guard Our Thoughts

God cares about everything we go through and will answer our prayers. No one is perfect, but based on our love for God, we should want to live a life that honors Him. Whenever we find an area that we struggle in, we need to ask God to forgive us and help us. He is faithful, and He will answer our prayers. Below is a prayer to tame our tongues and guard our thoughts. Pray this prayer, believing in your heart.

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A Prayer to Tame our Tongue and Guard Our Thoughts

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Deal with Anger Without Losing Joy

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Deal with Anger Without Losing Joy

As Christians, we must deal with anger without losing joy. Being angry is dangerous. The word anger is only one letter shy of “danger.” Sometimes, we get mad, but we must be careful not to let our rage become a weapon the enemy uses to attack us or others. We must deal with anger without losing joy.

Deal with Anger Without Losing Joy

The enemy wins if he can get us so angry that we misbehave, do something we shouldn’t do, or say something we can not take back. We must watch out for anger so we are not guilty of hurting others. Sometimes we get angry. It happens to all of us.


Imagine some of the terrible consequences that can occur if you do not deal with anger without losing your joy. If you get angry at your job, you could say something or do something that causes you to lose your job. If you get mad at your spouse, you can lose a day or days with bad feelings and not talk to each other. The enemy wants to steal your joy in any way he can. Do not let him do it!

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour

Don’t Let Anger Cause You to Lose Peace and Joy

You lose your peace and joy when your emotions and thoughts are angry. It is impossible to be angry and joyful at the same time. If the enemy can make you angry, you may become unforgiving. That unforgiveness will lead to bitterness and further destruction, which would be hazardous to your spiritual health.


The enemy will tell you that your anger is justified. He will tell you that everyone would be mad about the situation. He is trying to get you to become enraged. The enemy wants you to be so angry that you lose control. You may have a right to be angry, but how you deal with the anger is the difference between dealing with it God’s way or the enemy’s way. We should not want anything to cause us to lose peace and joy.

Deal with Anger

Deal With Anger Without Losing Your Joy by Praying

Praying is the first step in dealing with anger without losing your joy. Being angry is not the time to avoid prayer. Instead, being mad should remind us how much we need God to help us. We should deal with anger without losing joy by praying.


We should pray about everything, including when we are angry. We should try to settle the situation rather than let it fester. Sometimes, all we can do is pray. Praying and venting to a mighty God who can handle everything is much more helpful than unloading some unsuspecting humans.

Be angry and do not sin

When we pray, we should ask God how to handle the situation. he may lead us to speak with the person, but he can also fix the situation without saying a word. I can recall recently when a family member spoke harshly to me. I was angry because I felt misunderstood. I wanted to lash out, but I did not. I just prayed. The following day, when I looked at my cell phone, I received a text from the person who offended me asking for forgiveness. God worked it out, which was an answer to prayer. Prayer works.

Deal With Anger Without Losing Your Joy by Forgiving

We must deal with anger without losing joy by offering forgiveness to others. We must be able to forgive whether or not the person we are angry with apologizes. Perhaps the person that you are mad at is merely going through pain at home, and they inadvertently took it out on you. We must take those negative thoughts captive and instead give grace and mercy. God understands and gives us grace, but we must extend it to others. We have to be willing to forgive as we have been forgiven (Matthew 6:14)

Deal with Anger Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us

We should forgive others for what may feel like a personal attack by understanding that the enemy will use whomever he can to come against us. Release the person by asking God to help. Give your emotions to God and pray until you feel his love. Resist the negative thoughts, and they will flee.

A Prayer To Deal With Anger

I prayerfully write a prayer to go along with each post. Let’s pray and ask God to help us deal with feelings of anger. He hears us when we pray and will answer us when we pray.

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A Prayer to Deal with Anger

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A Joyful Attitude Doesn’t Complain

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A Joyful Attitude Doesn’t Complain
A Joyful Attitude Doesn't Complain

One of the classroom teachers in a school where I work is a baseball fan, and in her room, there is a bulletin board with a baseball glove and baseballs around it. When I noticed her bulletin board, I was sitting in on a mandatory in-service, and the information did not seem relevant to me as a speech-language pathologist. The bulletin board read, “Attitudes are contagious. Is yours worth catching?” At that moment, my attitude was less than joyful, so I sat there, wondering how I could catch a more joyful attitude.

Is your Attitude Worth Catching

Later in the day, while at home, I read a Bible study, and the word attitude met my eyes again. At this point, I realized there was a pattern here, and I might need to listen up! I believe God knows how to get our attention, and He pointed out that I needed to stop and check my attitude. God speaks to us and knows how to help us listen.

The truth is, I was finding myself overwhelmed by my workload. My work responsibilities were carrying over into my already busy home life. I wanted a joyful attitude, but busyness was sapping my joy. I found that I was complaining. I believe I was complaining, even during my prayer time, which is why God had to get my attention. Even though I was overloaded, and my complaining seemed justified, God was helping me understand that complaining is not how he would want me to deal with the situations.

Choose a Joyful Attitude Instead of Complainin

JOY acrostic Keep a joyful attitude

Complaining is a way of letting others know you are overloaded, but it does nothing more and decreases everyone’s joy. Just because I am not in a good mood, I should not become a killjoy for everyone else. I wanted to do better, so I needed to figure out how to maintain a joyful attitude and avoid complaining.

J – Jesus, O – Others, Y – Yourself. I love this acrostic.

To keep a joyful attitude, we should always put Jesus first, others second, and ourselves last.

If we are hyper-focused on ourselves, it is easy to spend too much energy fighting what God may be trying to do. God may be trying to use us to help others, but instead of putting ourselves last, we complain as if our comfort is most important. We must remember that the situations we find ourselves in, even at work, maybe God-designed. By changing our focus, we will trust that God has a plan and will work everything out for our good. We have to believe that God has everything figured out. We have to cultivate a joyful attitude and stop complaining.

Attitude matters. Do all things without murmurings or disputings

As we complain to others about our situation, we seek sympathy or want someone else to know about our struggles, but why? The Bible tells us not to do things with murmuring (Philippians 2:14 KJV). We damage our ability to witness to others regarding God’s goodness. No one wants to listen to complainers, and we are supposed to be the ones with faith. Even if we speak to a friend, we leave them with dampened spirits as we walk away. We need to think about others and how our actions will affect them.

Pray and Ask God to Help With our Attitude

Whenever we realize a problem, we pray and ask God to help. God sometimes places us in situations to help us grow and to build our faith. Sometimes, those situations may seem hard. Rather than complaining, we should pray to know God’s will and ask God how we should handle every situation.

In-thy-presence-is-fullness-of-joy

We do not have a joyful attitude because all is well or everything is going as planned. Having a joyful attitude that doesn’t complain is a choice. We must be joyful despite our circumstances because we are thankful, and God can.

The opposite of complaining is praising. We should begin by praising God for his many blessings when we pray. Even in the presence of difficulty, we should be able to be thankful.

A Prayer For a Joyful Attitude

Prayer helps us to have a joyful attitude. We have to be joyful rather than complainers, which is sometimes challenging. When we pray, we are reminded who is in control, and we can give all our feelings of frustration to a God who loves us and can help us through every situation.

A-Prayer-For-a-Joyful-Attitude

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Authentic Christian or a Hypocrite?

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Authentic Christian or a Hypocrite?

If asked whether we are authentic Christians or a hypocrite, we should strive to say that we are authentic, but what does that mean? To be authentic means that we are not false but real, genuine, and true to one’s beliefs.

Authentic Christian or a Hypocrite

The opposite of being authentic is being a hypocrite. One definition of a hypocrite is someone who pretends to have certain beliefs, attitudes, or feelings they do not possess. They are “pretenders.” There is also another form of hypocrisy. The other type of hypocrisy is looking down on others as if we have forgotten that we are also flawed.

As Christians, we are called to live like Christ. In the Bible, during Jesus’ ministry, the religious leaders were guilty of being hypocrites. Jesus did not act this way, and He spoke harshly against hypocrites. Jesus clarifies that what matters is how we treat others and what is inside, not how others perceive us.

Each of us can be hypocritical. We must guard against any tendency to try and impress others. We must also resist any desire to look down on others. We all need Jesus, and even after we have found him, we will continue to need Him. The life of an authentic Christian should point others to Jesus, who is the only one who can help.

An Authentic Christian life should point others to Jesus

Authentic Christians should not try to impress others; we should exemplify the gospel message. The real message of the Gospel is that Jesus saves. We must strive to live as authentic Christians and not as a hypocrite.

Authentic Christians Resist Pride and Arrogance

The word hypocrite is a loaded word often used to describe people who pretend to be more spiritual than others. After getting saved, a person may desire to live what they think is a Christian life but have some struggles. An authentic Christian resists pride and arrogance at all times.

Pride-Goes-before-Destruction

Wanting to fit in with a church community may cause someone to “pretend” to have it all together as they try to “look” or “act” spiritually or religiously. As authentic Christians, we should resist trying to look or act as if we strive to impress others. A real Christian’s life should reflect love, humility, and forgiveness.

Authentic Christians resist walking in pride and arrogance because these are some of the enemy’s favorite tactics. The enemy would rather see us try to look religious than ask God to help us live the Christian life.

“The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.”

Psalms 10:4 KJV
Stay Authentic

Authentic Christians recognize the need to stay close to God in prayer, knowing that it is impossible to live a Christian life on our own without the help of God. God knows that we need His help and wants us to accept His help. The hypocrite is happy, pretending, and does not seek God.

Authentic Christians Show Love and Are Not Judgmental

God calls us to love one another and not to judge one another. We should only judge ourselves and do our best to live as Christ has called us. We are to love others as ourselves and show mercy, kindness, and compassion to others just as God reveals it to us. Authentic Christians show love and are not judgmental.

Thou-Shalt-Love-Thy-neighbor-as-thyself

Authentic Christians realize the impact of a kind word and a smile. They also understand the harm that can come when others feel excluded, less than, or unreachable. God sent his son to save the lost; we should always reflect that simple truth in everything we say and do.

Authentic Christians Understand Forgiveness 

God calls us to live a surrendered life, which means we give up our old ways in exchange for His will. God understands this is a process; we may struggle, and He intends to help us. We should try to do our best and ask Him for help. He does not call any of us to live a life of perfection because God wants us to be authentic and not a hypocrite.

Forgiveness

Sometimes, despite our best efforts, the enemy gets the best of us. Perhaps we make the wrong choice and do or say something we regret. We must be willing to ask for and accept forgiveness. We ask God to forgive us, but we must also be quick to offer forgiveness to others. We must understand that the enemy tries to tempt us all, and we all need forgiveness. Authentic Christians understand asking for, giving, and receiving forgiveness.

“Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.”

Galatians 6:1 KJV

A Prayer to Be An Authentic Christian

To live as an authentic Christian, we need to love God, love our neighbor, and follow the example of Jesus. Being authentic may sound simple, but it can be challenging. Let’s pray a prayer to help us always be authentic Christians.

A prayer to be an Authentic Christian

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How to Deal with Negative People and Harsh Words

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How to Deal with Negative People and Harsh Words

Dealing with people in any capacity means we are sometimes subjected to negativity and harsh words. Negativity can come from family members, supervisors, or colleagues. As Christians, we must understand how to deal with negative people and harsh words to address negativity in ways that do not conflict with our profession of faith. We must be mindful of how Christ would want us to handle difficult situations. In other words, we must deal with negative people just as Jesus would. There are prayerful ways to deal with negative people and harsh words so the enemy doesn’t win.

How to Deal with Negative People and Harsh Words

Deal with Negative People and Harsh Words by Praying

Whenever we face an upsetting situation, especially when negative people say harsh words, we must not react with our first inclination but pray first. It is better to isolate ourselves and pray to God. Tell God the situation and how you feel. He cares and will help us calm down and decide what to do next.

Negative people Don't let negativity spoil your day

The enemy wants to catch us off-guard so that he can cause us to be angry and maybe say something that we should not say or do something we should not do. The enemy wants to destroy the witness that we have as Christians. He wants us to lose it so that he causes others to view us as hypocrites. The best thing we can do is pray rather than react.

Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

Romans 12:21 KJV

Pray that God Blesses the Negative Person

Praying first allows me to place the person who mistreated me and my feelings about the person into what I call a prayer bubble. A prayer bubble means I pray for my enemy (the person who has spoken negatively) by explicitly asking God to bless them. I assume they may not know the Lord from their actions, and I ask God to send them his love. I pray that God reaches and saves the person who has been negative or has spoken harsh words to me.

No matter the problem, just give it to Go

When I pray for the person who has upset me, it feels like I am blowing the situation God’s way in a prayer bubble so that God can deal with it. It allows me to release the hurt and the anger in prayer and prevents me from allowing the occurrence to ruin my entire day. We must envelop the situation in prayer, knowing that it was an attack from the enemy, not from a person.

Pray to Know How to Deal With Negative People as God Directs

When we pray before dealing with negativity, we can better determine what God would want us to do next. Sometimes, after prayer, there is a feeling that we should do nothing except let God fight our battles. Other times, God directs us to address the issues without coming unglued. Praying for yourself and letting God speak to your heart is essential.

God can give us the ability to speak kindly or send a calm email even though we are upset, or He can lead us to talk to someone who can help. The critical thing to remember is not to give in to the enemy and retaliate negatively. We must not forget that God will fight our battles.

27 “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

Luke 6:27-28 NIV
Pray for yoursel and pray for others

A Prayer To Deal With Negative People and Harsh Words

There is strength in numbers. When we are upset by different situations, Christian friends may be able to help. A Christian friend can help by sharing a scripture or a testimony to remind us that God will take care of the situation. We should seek out friends who will help us positively navigate the situation.

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A prayer to Deal with Negative People and Harsh Words

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How Seeking Acceptance From Others Can Steal Your Joy

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How Seeking Acceptance From Others Can Steal Your Joy

Do you remember the middle-school age years? I am sure I will date myself when I say that my teen years included trying to talk like a Valley Girl, flipped-up collars, guess jeans, and Izod polos. I remember countless hours spent in the mirror getting ready for school. Walking through the middle school hallway as a cool, got-it-all-together teenager took a lot of preparation. Although this walk down memory lane can cause some to chuckle, the truth is that many people still live their lives in a way that causes them to seek acceptance and approval from others, and it is stealing their joy.

How Seeking Acceptance From Others can Steal your joy

God created each of us, and it is not His will that we worry more about what others think of us than He thinks of us. We do not have to fit into anyone’s group or social circle. We have all been personally invited to be a part of the best clique ever created – God’s family. All we have to do is accept this invitation. In the Bible days, many cared more about acceptance from people and social status.

42 Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not openly acknowledge their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved human praise more than praise from God.

John 12:42-43 NIV
Stop seeking acceptance

Wanting the approval of others can lead us down some slippery slopes. If we head down the unhealthy path of seeking acceptance from others, we may find ourselves walking along roads that take our joy and peace. We may even fall into sin, which is not what God would want for us. God tells us to focus on pleasing Him and not man. Let’s look at the trouble we can get into if we are not careful.

Seeking Acceptance From Others Steals Our Joy By Causing Anxiety

Anxiety happens when we worry needlessly about the opinions of others and not the view of God. As women, we often worry about our looks. We worry about being skinny enough, pretty enough, or fashionable enough. Of course, it is okay to want to get in shape, look beautiful, or remain trendy, but these things should not consume us. We must be careful not to seek acceptance from others to the point that it causes anxiety.

We must look in the mirror, knowing God created us in His image. Even though we may be dealing with aging skin, gray hair, extra weight, or clothes that don’t fit the way they used to, we still should find our approval through God’s eyes because we know He looks at our hearts and loves us completely.

Accepted in the Beloved Ephesians 1:6

Seeking Acceptance From Others Can Lead to Feelings of Depression

Understand that it is tough to win approval and acceptance from other people. Even if you gain acceptance for a moment, it isn’t easy to maintain the approval for the long haul. Trying to feel important, accepted, respected, and approved of by others can cause us to lose our joy and lead to feelings of depression.


Often, with people, the idea of what is acceptable and what is not changes frequently. Thankfully, God does not change. Why should we wear ourselves out trying to fit into the latest idea of acceptance? If we chase acceptance from others as something to be gained, we will end up feeling like we missed it. Then, the enemy will add to that by telling us we are not good enough.

If we open the door, the enemy will feed us a whole spiel about our worthlessness. He will gladly be in our company as we are socially isolated and depressed. We must be careful about seeking acceptance from others and only seek God’s approval if we want to be children of God.

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.

Seeking Acceptance From Others Can Lead to Sin

Seeking acceptance and approval from others can lead to sin. When trying to impress others, we may find ourselves slipping into sins, such as lying or stretching the truth, just to be liked. To fit in and maintain acceptance, we may be tempted to exaggerate to make ourselves look good in other people’s eyes. We may find ourselves guilty of simple things, such as giving an insincere compliment or lying, which are sins.

If we pretend to know something that we do not because we fear looking less than others, or if we spread gossip to gain attention, we are sinning. Seeking acceptance from others can leave us jealous and covetous, which is also a sin. Finally, if we value a particular person’s opinion of us over God’s opinion, we may be slipping into idolatry.

Choose Joy

Avoid Seeking Acceptance From Others, Choose Joy Instead

Standing firm in your faith means that sometimes, your ideas will not be accepted. Sometimes, you will have to be different. Perhaps you are the only one who doesn’t drink at the company party. If you let God be first, you will be the only one with genuine joy at the party.

9 So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him.

2 Corinthians 5:9 ESV

You must make up your mind to respect your views, which should reflect your faith in God more than the opinions of others. You must know that no person can validate or take your value away. You must understand that you were “fearfully and wonderfully made,” God accepts you now and always as a member of his family as long as you have accepted His invitation of salvation.

A Prayer to Stop Seeking Acceptance From Others

Only God’s approval matters. We need to know that He loves us, and we never have to let seeking acceptance from others steal our joy. This prayer was written to help us ask God to help us in this area. I pray that it is a blessing.

Click-Here-to-Download-the-printable-prayer
A Prayer to Stop Seeking Acceptance from others

Need more scriptures to help you in this area? I found a complete list of scriptures related to seeking acceptance and approval. I have listed the site and its author below. Be blessed.

The author who compiled the list is Editor Stephen Smith. Publication date: Oct 19, 2019. Publisher: OpenBible.info. https://www.openbible.info/topics/approval

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