Following the recent death of an erstwhile child actor, one commentator remarked that, “People like him are so stimulated by fame that when they are alone, they feel they do not exist. He was devastated if he was not perpetually approved.”
All of us desire to find a place in the heart of someone else. The need for community and self expression is an indelible part of our blueprint. But when you derive your self-worth from the approval of others, when we want to be liked so badly that we start playing to the audience, the outcome is most likely to be exactly the opposite.
Take a look around the web — we are drowning in “like” buttons. This choice of word was a deliberate (and very clever) decision by facebook. By the way, you can buy 1000 friends or followers for $17. And when they un-friend you, there are now counselling programs to help you cope with the trauma of digital solitude. I kid you not.
<digress> Shake your head if you must, but polls indicate that nearly half of you regularly check your blog or social network before getting up in the morning, or in the bathroom. Sadly, similar polls seem to hint at an inverse relationship between your number of online friends and your connectedness in real life…</digress>
In a recent blog article, Seth Godin put it this way, “[It] is true on a deeper level in your career choice or what you write or what you say or what you sell or how you sell it: if you are working hard to please the wrong people, you’ll fail.”
Who, then, are the right people? Paul reckoned there is only one answer. He writes, “Am I trying to win the approval of men, or of God?”
The really good news is that God’s acceptance does not hinge on going to church more often, cursing less or modifying your behaviour. In fact, it does not depend on your own goodness at all. Accept that He truly loves you and gave Himself for you. Take His hand – that is all there is to it. Like it or not, this is the message of Grace. Once you did what you did because you needed to be loved, now you do what you do because you are.
God clicked your “like” button a long time ago. Now it is time to follow Jesus.
WS
PS: It’s been two whole minutes and no-one has commented?!? 
I think we have all been flippant because this post hits home hard for most people.
Its difficult not to fall into this trap: sometimes i think its more addictive than tik because it feeds into our great need to belong, to be approved and included.
I’m not sure one can come free of this kind of ‘people neediness’ without the help of our divine Rescuer
Well said allie. I’m not sure where the line lies that separates the healthy desire to be meaningful from the insecure need to be approved. And why it is so difficult to accept how deeply we are loved. So glad we’ve been rescued from ourselves as well!
Well said Werner! Can you forward me the link to buy 1000 friends!
Thanks John…Usocial now invite up to 20 million friends to your page. What for, I’m not sure
I “like” ! *
Hi Wern
It appears you have been "un-friended", please seek the online counselling programs to help you cope with the trauma of digital solitude. ha ha ha
You are a special and mighty man of God my brother! This is an inspiring message that challenges us all! I know it to be true even in the smallest way and yes it is only the Lord's thoughts and opinion that counts.
Be blessed brother!
Thanks Dean – hope to see more of you in 2011!
Jesus said that we should love one another. By trying to do so in cyber space is in a way replacing the very veil that was torn away when He gave His all for our salvation.If the latest tech is your thing, great, use it to call a friend and meet face to face. It might just change things forever.
Hey Al, good to hear from you! I take it that’s a dinner invitation?
Give me a moment – I';m still reading you! But loving it so far