Let Us Love (pt 2): Jesus Didn’t Chase Approval—And We Don’t Need To Either

This makes me think of Jesus calling the disciples to follow Him. In none of those instances did Jesus extend the invitation while seeking validation or approval. He was fully secure in two things: (1) His identity in Christ, and (2) the Father’s love.

Jesus never offered flashy or “too-good-to-be-true” incentives to the disciples. Instead, He revealed His identity as the Son of God and extended a simple, profound invitation: “Follow Me.” That’s very different from trying to impress someone with how great of a friend you'd be, what perks they’d gain from knowing you, or the status upgrade they’d receive by being associated with you.

In fact, Jesus often said the opposite. To follow Him means to pick up your cross and live a life of righteousness, which often includes rejection and even persecution.

We even see Jesus lovingly let people choose not to follow Him. When He invited the rich young ruler to come, the man walked away. If I were Jesus, I imagine I’d feel the urge to run after him and say, “Wait! You don’t understand! Sure, I’m asking you to give up everything now, but you’ll get it all back in heaven—and more! You'll walk streets of gold and wear a crown of jewels!”

It almost sounds like a financial advisor selling life insurance as I write that. But isn’t that how we think? In order to gain someone’s loyalty or affection, we try to make a compelling pitch—either verbally or through our actions.

But Jesus knew that wasn’t true love. He didn’t want to convince people to follow Him. He wanted to be chosen—freely, honestly—for who He is.

Granted, Jesus is a bit of a unique example here, because unlike human relationships, we don’t just want Him—we need Him too. But still, the principle remains: in our human relationships, far too often we try to find ways to convince others to want and need us too.

But I want to be freely chosen. I want to be so fixed in the Father’s love—like Jesus was—that the temptation to chase after others fades. To not be chosen, and to not let go just leads to control and heart break after heart break. Or worse, to signal to them on social media that they made the wrong choice. You know what I mean—like when you hope your ex sees your Instagram story showing how amazing your life is. Let’s be honest: sometimes we’re just signaling, “You should’ve bought in on this life insurance package when you had the chance… because look at me now, reaping the rewards without you.”

I want to do a lot less of that this year.

And instead, I want to pursue the people who do love me—starting with my Heavenly Father.

Part 3 Preview: "Love You Don’t Have to Earn"

In the next post, we’ll unpack what true love really looks like—love that mirrors God’s heart, not the world's applauses.