What if you didn’t have to work hard for recognition?
What if you never had to prove yourself?
What if you were accepted before you ever lifted up a single finger?

These are all completely counter-cultural questions. Voices from every angle tell you that your value only comes from what you can give to people. People will only like you if you do something for them.

Well one small passage in the first chapter of Mark flips all that on it’s head. There are two important concepts that I found in this passage that changed my life.

I’m talking about those two things today at Faith Village. It’s a new faith-based community. They asked me to be a contributor to their blog and I was thrilled at the opportunity. You can read more about them here. While you’re over there, read my first contribution to the site.

Here’s a snippet:

We spend a lot of time trying to impress people. We use our intelligence, our influence, our possessions and even our looks. But what happens when we find ourselves trying to impress God?

I remember playing sports growing up. I always wanted to impress my dad on the basketball court or baseball field. I would constantly look into the stands to see if he was watching me. After a fantastic game, I was anxious to hear his approval. After a terrible game, I was ashamed and expected to see a shaking head of disappointment. In my mind, I felt that his acceptance was based on my performance.

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