Email popped up. Subject line: “Amazing work.” I literally grinned at the screen 😅 But a few hours later, one small comment from someone else pulled my mood down just as fast. I caught myself riding this roller coaster 🎢 — craving every word of praise, sinking when it didn’t come. I tried to shake it off, but it stuck. Then I remembered: my worth isn’t built on other people’s emails. Jesus already secured it. His approval doesn’t rise or fall with my inbox. That truth steadied me. 💛 Read the full reflection on my blog 👉
Some time ago at work, I had an experience that stuck with me. I had just finished a task my boss requested. A while later, an email notification popped up. Two simple words—“Amazing work”—made my heart leap.
It surprised me how something so small could give such a surge of joy. And it made me pause.
The Subtle Power of Feedback
I’ve noticed my mood can rise and fall like a stock market, dependent on the responses of people around me.
When praise is absent or feedback is colder than expected, my heart dips. I’m still functional, but I sense the energy drain.
And yet, isn’t this normal? As children, we live for approval—stickers, stars, medals. As adults, a positive email or a nod of appreciation can still lift our spirits. There’s nothing inherently wrong about that. It’s part of how we were made: to live in community, to delight in affirmation.
It’s equally normal to feel a tinge of sadness when appreciation is missing. If we never felt that, perhaps we’ve grown too jaded—or we might even be facing something deeper like depression, where mood no longer shifts with life’s ups and downs.
When Feedback Starts to Rule Us
Still, I sensed a caution light blinking. Why could two words in an email sway me so strongly?
Scripture offers a helpful lens. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 6 that “All things are lawful, but not all things are helpful… I will not be dominated by anything.”
Praise and criticism can guide and sharpen us. But when they begin to dominate our hearts—controlling how we see ourselves—that’s when danger creeps in.
How should the Christian think about this?
— ✂️ CUT FOR SUBSTACK ✂️ —
Our Worth Is Already Secure
For followers of Christ, the foundation of our worth isn’t the thumbs-up of a boss or the absence of critique. Christ has died and risen for us. That truth anchors our identity far deeper than performance or reputation ever could.
When this reality sinks in, it frees us.
Freed from chasing approval, we can receive praise with gratitude—without clinging to it. We can accept correction without crumbling. We can throw ourselves into good work not to earn worth but to glorify God.
So, whether today brings a glowing “Amazing work” or silence, we remain secure. Our joy can be steady, because it rests not on shifting words but on Christ, who never changes.