Seal of Approval

“Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.” 1 Corinthians 1: 21-22 I have been established, anointed, and sealed by God.

As a little girl, I remember watching my mom as she spent many hours making clothes for her growing family. In my mind’s eye, I can still see her sewing machine, and because I was eye-level with it, I often looked at a label attached to the body of the machine. It read “Seal of Approval by Good Housekeeping”. I had no idea at the time what that meant, but it was always there, it had stars on it, and I would stare at it while I listened to the whirring beat of the needle going in and out of the material. I later learned that this seal of approval grants value and integrity to the product, guaranteeing its quality, lending high expectation for its performance.

I think this is now an outdated method of guaranteeing quality and performance, but it is a great picture of what this verse is talking about. We have all been stamped with the Seal of Approval of the Creator of the universe - the One who holds all the authority. He says you are fully approved, your quality is of the highest dimension (you were created in His image, afterall), and none of this can be undone. He says you are His, you are the best, you are worth His very life...you are secure forever. What would you do differently if you knew you were already sealed with approval before you even start? How would you start to approach your life and your dreams? Instead of fearing failure, would you believe in your ability to succeed?

Family, if we could truly see our Seal of Approval on ourselves when we look in the mirror, I think we would spend less time criticizing our mistakes and actions and rather spend more time being about the business of Father. There are smiles to smile, prayers to pray, meals to deliver, burdens to lift, and joy to spread. We are established, anointed, and sealed to do good works and spread love.

What a confidence builder, right?