A few weeks ago, I’d taken my daughter out for lunch at a fancy-ish restaurant. After we licked our plates of Korean fried chicken clean and downed 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 from me to “help” me with the “tech.” My appreciation for the meal slowly turned into annoyance thanks to the server’s overbearing presence.
But 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 appreciate the service today, kindly press 3 at the end of the call.”
But this got me thinking about how much we’ve let this review-and-rate-me mentality seep into our lives. Do we constantly find ourselves trying to prove our worth so we get a “5-star review” from others? 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 establish your significance to your boss, colleagues, peers, or even yourself?
If you find yourself running ragged trying to make your home “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 what you do?
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 culture of striving and hustling. We want to climb to the top—and show everyone that we’ve made it. But at what cost?
Recently, a close friend shared with me that she doesn’t feel worthy. She was not 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.
I hugged her and was tempted to put a Band-Aid on her hurt with an, “Of course, you’re worthy” feel-good spiel. But that would have done her a disservice. The truth is we are not worthy. Not on our own anyway. 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.
Just for kicks, let me put myself through an Amazon customer service rating with God being the reviewer. Here’s likely what would have come up:
Overall service – Two Stars. Comment: Sporadic service; inconsistent at best.
Empathy – Two Stars. Comment: Demonstrates this quality when it is convenient.
Courtesy – Three Stars. Comment: Polite when it will help her get what she wants.
Knowledgeable – One Star. Comment: Shows considerable interest in the latest Netflix shows.
Helpfulness – Two Stars. Comment: See “overall service”
Efficiency – One Star. Comment: Depends on caffeine in her bloodstream.
While this is only a joke, the truth is we don’t measure up. We can’t measure up.
Friend, would you 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 for us.
When we allow that sense of significance to soak into our souls, we will be freed from the constant need to prove ourselves to the world.
So, does that mean we are free to live life on our own terms? Not quite.
Scripture reminds us that we’re called to live a life worthy of the gospel. (Phil 1:27)
We receive our worth from what Jesus has accomplished for us. And we respond by living a life worthy of our calling. Let’s make sure we get the order right. Let’s receive and then respond.
God doesn’t review or rate us. He rejoices over us with singing.
May we revel in the unconditional, radical, immeasurable love of God and find our significance in who He says we are.
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