"Open up before God, keep nothing back; he'll do whatever needs to be done:
He'll validate your life in the clear light of day and stamp you with approval at high noon."
Psalm 37:5-6, The Message

One of the most liberating days of my walk with the Lord was the day I truly realized He knew it all.  He knows my thoughts, and how I feel ... my strengths and weaknesses ... my successes and failures.  God knows it all.  Before I learned the reality of that statement I acted like I was the only one who knew about me.

"He'll validate your life ..."

Isn't that really what we all want?  I think that desire is at the heart of all we do ... we want our lives to be validated.  We want what we do to mean something.  I think we all go about it in different ways ...

... the young professional want his or her boss to validate their contribution to the company.

... the business owner wants his or her peers to validate their contribution to the community.

... the stay at home mom and wife wants her husband and those around her to validate her contribution to the family and to society.

It seems like such a simple need doesn't it?  It may be simple, but it's so important.  Without it, a sense of worthlessness can overtake a persons soul.

"And stamp you with approval ..."

I think we desire this just as much, if not more than the need to feel validated.  To be validated by those around us makes us feel important, useful, and part of the team.  We feel like we're actually contributing to the overall good of something.  But to be approved of ... how do I even begin to explain what this means to someone?

I could share countless stories from my own life explaining the need to feel validated and approved of.  That would be easy ... all I'd have to do is tell you about my life.  You see, for most of it ... most being 90% of it or more ... I've spent it seeking the approval of others.  Don't feel sorry for me though ... you've done the same thing.  Maybe you've moved on from the bondage of living that way, and if you have, I'm happy for you, but there are people around you who still struggle with it.

I'll forgo the stories today.  Quite honestly, I don't feel like re-living any of them right now.  I know at times I need to, because I know that my experiences benefit others ... but not today.  Instead I'm going to focus on the fact ... yes, the fact ... that God approves of me ... so much so that he stamped His approval on me at 'high noon', and validated me 'in the clear light of day' for everyone to see.  He's not ashamed of me, or embarrassed of me.  He wants everyone to know that He's proud of me, and proud to call me His son.  So instead of re-living another one of my stories this morning, and while we're focusing on how much God loves and approves of us, why don't we think about who we can show that to.  Make a list of people ... your kids, your spouse, your mom or dad, brother or sister, your friends ... whose lives you can make a difference today with just a simple phrase ... I love you, and I'm proud to be part of your life.  Do it today ... you've got until noon.

Ready ... set ... go.