https://odb.org/MY/2021/11/17/accepted-and-approved
I think this issue of acceptance and approval by our fathers (or mothers) is probably more prevalent than we think. I never had this issue with my own father. Although he didn’t praise me much when I was growing up, I never had that feeling that whatever I did was not good enough for him. I was the top student in school albeit a school in a small town in the East Coast of Malaysia, the less advanced and less prosperous region in West Malaysia. I was also fairly good in badminton, having finished runners up in doubles in the state under-15 schools competition.
However, I did have a friend who always had this issue with his father. His father was a non Malay and yet a head of department in a government ministry, some DG and thus was very accomplished. My friend graduated with first class from my law school, scored 5As full in his STPM, was a chess champion and yet through it all, he always felt that his father never did acknowledge his achievements. He used to complain to me about this and I thought it strange that he was so “hard up” for praise and acknowledgement from his dad when it was obvious he was very successful.
But it is true that the acceptance and approval of parents are a big thing for children, especially when they have achieved a certain measure of success. I have a first hand experience seeing this in the life of my friend and how it affected him although he was so successful.
When I became a father myself, I made it a point to always let my boys know that I’m with them come what may. So I used to hug and kiss them back after punishing them to make sure they know that despite the punishment, my love for them was unwavering, and neither was it evervconditional. Whether they do well or badly, I still acknowledge their efforts. They must give their best and that’s what matters most. When they do silly things or make mistakes, I will scold and reprimand them but we move on after that.
When it comes to God, we know that His love is always unwavering and unconditional as the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. It is renewed every morning like dew. His love is not dependent on our actions. Our salvation is not reliant upon our actions since salvation is by grace and not by works. It is God’s gift to us.
As much as God accepts us, I always feel that we must give our best to Him in all that we do whether in our studies, work, ministry, walk of faith or our calling. He accepts us even if we did not give Him our best but because of what He did for us through Jesus on the cross, we must give Him our best. We must give Jesus our best because that’s the least we can do for Him. Already our salvation is by His grace – what can we give in return as our gratitude and thanksgiving if not our best? There is nothing that we can offer in comparison with what He offered us in the same way that whatever suffering or trial or tribulation that we go through cannot compare to the eternal glory that awaits us in Christ (2 Corinthians:17-18).
So my exaltation to us today is as much as some of us may have issues of acceptance with our fathers or mothers and as much that can and never is an issue between God and us because His love for us is always unconditional as far as the east is from the west, are we in return giving our best to God in all that we do? Is our life a true reflection of our gratefulness and thanksgiving for all that He had and is and will do in our lives? Food for thought for today!
Ronnie's Thoughts 