Power of Affirmation
FEBRUARY 8, 2024

And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
Matthew 3:17

Recommended Reading: 2 Peter 1:17-18
Children live and long for their parents’ approval, and parents struggle to communicate approval when a child’s choices don’t match a parent’s expectations. Approval and affirmation are key in the transition from adolescence to adulthood.

Jesus was a young adult—age thirty—when He left His family’s home and began His own adult life. He had experienced some level of His earthly parents’ disapproval as an adolescent (Luke 2:41-51) but seemed to have been met with affirmation prior to setting out on His own (Luke 2:52). Thankfully, at the very beginning of His public life, He received the most important approval He could have desired: the approval of His Heavenly Father. On the day of His baptism by John the Baptist, God audibly communicated His approval in a voice from heaven: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” This approval was also confirmation of Jesus’ Messianic role (Psalm 2:7; Isaiah 42:1).

God approves of you today by grace, not based on your works (Ephesians 2:8-9). Look for an opportunity today to unconditionally affirm someone who may need encouragement.

The church should be the community of encouragement.
Fred Catherwood