Thursday, 8 May 2025
How many of you like mirror? I mean like looking at yourselves in a mirror. Do you like your appearance? Do you think you are talented? How do you think about your classmates? Your friends? In a western TV program, some young adults dressed as high school students shadowing their high school days in order to have a better understand the real lives of teenagers. They discovered that social media plays a central role in how teens measure their self-worth. One participant observed, “The self-value of these students is attached to social media—it’s dependent on how many ‘likes’ they get on a photo.” This need for acceptance by others can drive young people to extreme behavior online.
Not only friends, some teens are longing for approval from parents. Some teenagers always feel insecure and continually wonder since childhood, Am I good enough? What should I do in order to get praises from my parents?
The longing for being accepted by others has always been there. In Genesis 29, Leah understandably yearned for the love of her husband Jacob. It was reflected in the names of her first three sons—all capturing her loneliness (vv. 31–34). But, sadly, there was no indication that Jacob ever gave her the acceptance she craved.
With the birth of her fourth child, Leah turned to God instead of her husband, naming her fourth son Judah, which means, “praise” (v. 35). Leah, it seemed, finally chose to find her significance in God. She became part of God’s salvation story: Judah was the ancestor of King David and, later, Jesus.
We can try to find our significance in many ways and things, but only in Jesus do we find our identity as children of God, co-heirs with Christ, and those who will dwell eternally with our heavenly Father. Shungtakians, please remember, our Heavenly Father, always love us, accept us, and cherish us without conditions. As Paul wrote, nothing in this world compares with the “supreme advantage of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” (Philippians 3:8). We’re accepted and approved in Jesus. May we confidently live out this truth today. Learn to accept yourself, others and respect others.
Ms Chiu KW
20 February 2023