In his article, The Haunted Hayride of Human Approval, Marshall Segal discusses the dangers and pitfalls of being motivated by the desire of receiving human approval. As he does so, he focuses most especially on those who share the Word of God around them.

Commenting the apostle Paul's attitude and behaviour all along what happened through Acts 14, Marshall Segal writes "Paul accepted their rejection, embracing the hostility, because he did not live for what they thought of him, but for what he thought of Jesus. Paul did not make decisions so that more people would like him, but so that more people would love and follow his Savior. With Peter and John, he surrendered to Christ, whatever may come, “We cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20)."

A little further in the same article, Marshall Segal's goes on saying, and asking: "Whether the world applauds us or attacks us, if they do not worship Jesus, they will die without real hope. Their approval (or rejection) of us has no bearing on our eternity, and it certainly will not save them. Will we surrender our need to be loved in order to truly love the lost? Are we willing to change the world in Jesus’s name without being loved for it here, maybe without even being noticed much at all?"

By way of conclusion, the articles suggests: "Find your identity and confidence in him, not in what people think about you or in your status here in this life. It will free us to tell the world the beautiful and offensive message it desperately needs to hear."

What makes you feel the most vulnerable with regards to fearing not being liked or about your desire to be loved and approved?