Jon always thought “approved” meant “almost perfect,” so he kept his struggles secret. Then a heavy season hit—family problems, money tight, sleep gone. He felt like a failure for even feeling weak.
One night, exhausted, he read the verse again and noticed something: approved meant “tested and genuine,” not “never tested at all.” That changed everything. Maybe this hard season wasn’t proof he was disqualified. Maybe it was the place his faith was being proved real—in the car, in the office, in late-night worry, just doing life.
The next day, he went to work with red eyes but a different mindset. When a coworker asked how he was, Jon didn’t fake it.
“Honestly, it’s rough,” he said, “but I’m hanging on to God.”
It wasn’t polished, but it was true.
Weeks later, that same coworker came to him for prayer. Jon realized his approval wasn’t in looking strong—it was in staying true when life pressed him. The obstacle had become his proving ground, right in the middle of ordinary days, just doing life with God under real pressure.