Addiction: Approval

"After Pete's message yesterday, I woke up with conviction, perspective, and a black eye from being sucker-punched."

"Mediocrity. Exhaustion. Guilt/shame. Rejection. These are the things that I'm calling myself out on for the first time ever this morning."

"Starting to process and wrestle with the message from Pete yesterday with a heavy and hopeful heart."

"I have NEVER been more wrecked in my life than tonight at church. Pete Wilson's message opened a door in my heart I've kept closed for over a decade."

Monday mornings are hard for the majority of us. A long weekend of relaxation turns into the dreaded sound of the alarm. Mondays require an extra cup of coffee, an extra jolt of "I can do this", and a couple hundred additional glances at the clock.

Mondays are hard.

But lately, for those of us at Cross Point, Mondays have been terribly painful.

We are in the middle of the "Empty Promises" series at Cross Point, with yesterday's message focusing on the "Addiction to Approval." At the top of this post are just a few Tweets from some of my fellow group members regarding the message yesterday. As you can tell, we woke up in pain due to the utter slap in the face we so nicely received from Pastor Pete.

Thanks, Pete.

Over the next couple days I'm going to be posting with the reactions of people from my community group (not all 150 of them, I promise). This message was real. The message was painful, intense, and completely shattering. But I can only write so much about my own story. So my friends are going to share theirs. And in doing so, I pray you will be able to face up to yours.

You can listen to the message at our church's website. Or read some notes on it from Pete himself. Or check back here daily for different takes and reactions to the message.

But let me warn you, most of these people walked into church yesterday assuming they already knew the main idol in their life, that the one thing in contention with the Lord for their heart was already discovered. Yet they left broken, in tears, and hopeful that through the strength of Christ, they can be renewed. So let me warn you - life change has happened here.

We are tired. Exhausted. Empty.

Because the applause of others never fills.

Hurt. Anxious. Needy.

Because putting our hope in people always fails.

Searching. Seeking. Self-destructing.

Because the One who can fill us has been the last person we've gone to for approval.


Are you an approval-addict?

I am.

But luckily I'm not alone.