There’s Only One ‘Like’ You Really Need - Unsubscribe from Approval

“Don't pay attention to everything people say.” Ecclesiastes 7:21 (GNT)

I'm not sure that I've posted something online and then just walked away without worrying about what anyone thought or how people reacted? Honestly, that’s not easy to do. Most of us want to check, see the reactions, and know what people think.

Why is social media so addictive? Why do I feel the need to check a post after I share it? Why do I keep checking my phone when I hear a notification?

I know part of it is that I want approval. I want to be liked. When I hear that notification sound, it feels good because it’s like instant feedback that someone noticed me, liked what I said, or agreed with me. It’s easy to start depending on that feeling.

But I remind myself that public opinion shouldn’t influence how I live my faith, as it says in James 2:1. Public opinion doesn’t determine what I believe, how I feel about myself, or what I choose to do. No number of likes or notifications is ever going to lead me in the right direction spiritually.

That’s why I remind myself of Ecclesiastes 7:21 — not to pay attention to everything people say. Even when I say something positive, encouraging, or thoughtful online, there will always be someone who misunderstands, disagrees, or says something negative. If I base my happiness on how people respond, I’m setting myself up for disappointment.

But when I stop living for the approval of others, then one comment, one like, or one opinion doesn’t control my mood or my confidence. When I can share something without worrying about how everyone will react, then my happiness isn’t tied to other people’s responses.

Yes, I naturally want approval from others. But I want my main focus to be the same focus Jesus had — to please God above everyone else. In John 5:30, Jesus said He was focused on pleasing the One who sent Him. That’s the mindset I want to have.

When I live for the approval of One instead of the approval of everyone, social media becomes just a tool I use — not something I depend on to feel valued or accepted.

So inspired by Ecclesiastes 7:21, “I won’t pay attention to everything people say.”

In summary:

Ecclesiastes 7:21 serves as a wisdom-filled guardrail against the trap of people-pleasing and the anxiety of reputation management. In a modern context, this translates to resisting the "dopamine loop" of social media notifications and the weight of public opinion. By aligning with the mindset of Christ—who prioritized the approval of the Father over the acclaim of the crowds—you shift from being a reactive consumer of feedback to an intentional steward of your message. The core message here is emotional and spiritual autonomy: when God’s opinion is the primary metric, the noise of the crowd loses its power to destabilize your peace.

Bottom Line:

When I live for the "Audience of One," I trade the exhaustion of seeking constant approval for the freedom of a stable, God-given identity.

Next Step:

Practice the "Post and Pause" Discipline: To align my identity with God’s approval rather than digital feedback, commit to a 24-hour moratorium on checking notifications or comments after I post something online. This disciplined action forces me to decouple the act of sharing from the need for immediate validation, training my brain to find satisfaction in the integrity of the message itself rather than the volume of the response.