A few weeks ago, I’d taken my daughter out for lunch at a fancy-ish restaurant. After we polished off our Korean fried chicken and our delicious mango mocktails, I asked the server for our bill. I was all set to leave him a generous tip when he asked me to write a Google review for the restaurant.

Now, that would have been perfectly fine, but the guy insisted that I give the restaurant 5 stars, mention his name in the review, and write it on the spot rather than when I got home. At some point, he took my phone to “help” me with the “tech.” My appreciation for the meal slowly turned into annoyance thanks to the server’s overbearing presence.

But, then again, I can’t really blame him. In our cut-throat culture, we survive on reviews and ratings. Every phone call with a hard-to-reach customer support agent ends with, “If you appreciated the service today, kindly press 3 at the end of the call.”

But this little incident got me thinking about how much the review-and-rate-me mentality seeps into our lives. Do we constantly find ourselves trying to prove ourselves so we get a “5-star review”? Instead of looking to the Word to define us, do we look to the world and wonder if we measure up?

If you find yourself overworked and constantly stressed out, could it be that you’re trying to prove your worth to your boss, your colleagues, your peers, or even to yourself?

If you find yourself exhausted trying to make your home look “Insta-worthy,” or being the “perfect” mom who feeds her kids only organic meals, or the “ideal” wife, could it be that you’re trying to find validation in how you present yourself?

If you find yourself obsessively focused on eating clean and working out, could it be that you’re looking for the approval of others?

We live in a hustle culture. We want to climb to the top—and show everyone that we’ve made it. But at what cost?  

Recently, a dear friend shared with me that she doesn’t feel worthy. She wasn’t interested in her work, she didn’t have the motivation to exercise, she wasn’t losing weight, and she felt like she was failing at the goals she had set for herself.

As I hugged her, I was tempted to put a Band-Aid on her pain with an, “Of course you’re worthy” feel-good speech. But that would have done her a disservice. The truth is we are not worthy. We are all messed up, fallen, sinful people. But despite that—and only because of His love—Christ came to rescue and redeem us. Because He took our sin and gave us His righteousness in exchange, we have been made worthy.

Friend, can we pause for a moment and ponder the good news that God doesn’t review and rate us? He doesn’t love us based on what we’ve done. He loves us based on Who He is and what He has done on the Cross.

When we allow that sense of significance to take hold of our souls, we will be free from the constant need to prove ourselves.

So, does that mean we live life on our own terms? Not quite.

Scripture reminds us that we are called to live a life worthy of the gospel.(Phil 1:27)

We first receive our worth from what Jesus has accomplished for us. And we then respond to His sacrifice by living a life worthy of our calling. Let’s always get the order right. Receive and then respond. Approval from God precedes action for God.

God doesn’t review or rate us. He rejoices over us with singing. May we revel in the unconditional love of God and find our significance in what He has done for us.

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