On August 16, 2019, my friend David Wollen made a statement in a sermon that instantly grabbed my attention and has stuck with me ever since. He said, “Perhaps the greatest feeling we can experience in this life is being approved by the person we respect or adore the most.”
Five days later, I found this statement more satisfyingly true than I could have ever imagined.
The day before David preached this sermon, I applied for a writing position for a popular YouTube channel that I had followed closely for years. The man who runs the channel was a lodestar to me (I’ll call him Parker). At the time of my application, Parker released two videos per week and also cohosted a podcast. I listened to almost all his content, so his voice was virtually always in my ears.
Part of the reason I was drawn to Parker is that he reminded me of a childhood mentor who had been a huge role model. Because of this connection, Parker could speak to a part of my heart that few people could access. Combine that with his helpful and entertaining content, and I couldn’t get enough of him. So, when Parker unexpectedly posted a job opening for a scriptwriting position for his channel, I was all over it.
Parker asked applicants to submit a sample script to demonstrate their writing competencies. (Interpretation: I had one chance to prove myself to Parker.) His channel was approaching four million subscribers at the time—and 200 or so people had already applied for the position—so when I submitted a script on August 15th, I never expected to hear back. But six days later, I received an email informing me that I had made the cut and was on to the second round of the application process. Parker had reduced the applicant pool from 200 people to 20, and I was among the chosen. That made me feel pretty good! But that’s not all. When I got to the end of the email, I noticed an audio file attached. Unsure of its content, I walked outside, plugged in my headphones, and pressed “play.”
The audio began with step-by-step instructions for the second round of the application process—what to include, what not to include, formatting suggestions, etc. At the end of the instructions, the voice said, “You will now receive feedback for your first-round script.” Several seconds of silence ensued. Then, it happened. Five words that instantly sent chills down my spine:
“Hi, Blake, this is Parker.”
My body froze.
I was like, wait… this is Parker? The guy with millions of subscribers? The guy whose voice is constantly in my ears? My celebrity hero? And now, he is talking to me?! The audio continued. He said, “Blake, I read over your script, and you did a great job. Here are some things I like about it, and here are some things you can tweak for your second-round script….”
As I listened to Parker speak, I felt like a truckload of dopamine was being dumped into my brain. I couldn’t stop smiling. I was hardly even listening to his instructions. I couldn’t get over the fact that Parker was talking to me—and that he liked my work! It was like Jerry Maguire’s, “You had me at hello”—only for me, it was, “You had me at ‘Blake, I read your script, and you did a great job.’” That was all I needed to hear. My life was complete; Jesus could come back now. It was one of the greatest feelings I had ever experienced, instantly becoming something I could look back on with joy. Sure, life is hard, but Parker approved of me! What else matters?
As I beamed with delight, I couldn’t help but ask myself, “Why does this feel so good right now?” I thought back to what David Wollen had said a few days earlier: “Perhaps the greatest feeling we can experience in this life is being approved by the person we respect or adore the most.” Parker approved of me, and nothing in the world could compare with the pleasure this gave me.
Our longing for approval
I am not the only person with a deep longing for approval. Gary Chapman (the author of The Five Love Languages) once surveyed 10,000 people to determine which “love language” was the most common.[1] Which do you think took the crown? You guessed it—words of affirmation. There is arguably no greater feeling in this life than to be approved (or affirmed) by the person we respect or adore the most. In the words of J. R. R. Tolkien, “The praise of the praiseworthy is above all rewards!”[2]
The reason I felt such a rush of pleasure on that memorable August evening is that I was experiencing the praise of the praiseworthy. The more I thought about the pleasure of this moment, the more I realized that God was giving me a foretaste of the greatest feeling any Christian will ever experience. There I was, tickled by the fact that Parker himself called me by name, told me he had chosen me (to go to the second round), then said, “Well done! Good job!” If this experience was amazing (and trust me—it was!), imagine what it will feel like when the Creator of the universe calls each of us by name, tells us, “I have chosen you,” then says, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”
In that moment—as we stand in the warmth of God’s approval—every Christian will feel such a delicious rush of pleasure that we will need all of eternity to process and respond to it. In fact, as Paul explains in Ephesians 3, we will need the Holy Spirit to give us strength to comprehend the vastness of God’s love! No earthly pleasure will hold a candle to this moment; this experience will change us forever.
Believer, rejoice knowing that through Christ, you are eternally approved and loved by God himself. When Jesus looks at you, it’s not a look of distain or disappointment but endearment and love. As the Apostle Paul writes, “Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes” (Ephesians 1:4, NLT).
Loved. Chosen. Holy. Without fault. Through faith in Christ, and because of Christ, this is your ultimate status before the God of the universe. Praise the Lord!
Read more about our longing for approval in my article for The Gospel Coalition.
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Blake Glosson is a pastoral resident at Chapelstreet Church in Geneva, Illinois, and an MDiv student at Reformed Theological Seminary. He has been published by The Gospel Coalition, Life Bible, and Crosswalk.com and republished and/or referred by Eternal Perspective Ministries (Randy Alcorn), Challies.com (Tim Challies), Moody Radio (here, here, and here), The JOY FM (The Morning Cruise with Dave, Bill, and Carmen), ChurchLeaders.com, The Aquila Report, Monergism.com, and numerous other sources. Previously, he served as the director of young adults at New Covenant Bible Church in St. Charles, Illinois.
Watch or listen to “Grace That Is Greater Than All Our Sin” here.
Read “3 Lies To Combat in Suffering and Anxiety” here.
Read “In Suffering, God Isn’t (Simply) Teaching You a Lesson” here.
Read “7 Things to Say to a Hurting Loved One” here.
[1] Kelsey Borresen, “This is the Most Common of the 5 Love Languages” (HuffPost, July 23, 2018). See https://tinyurl.com/ybbjfxau.
[2] J. R. R. Tolkien, The Two Towers. Need page number. End of fifth chapter of second book (The Window on the West). See https://tinyurl.com/y6rhbhjf.
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