Tuesday; November 9

Should we care what other people think? Let me take this one step further – as Christians, should we really care what the world thinks about us? Now, before we get any further, I will be the first to tell you that I struggle with this. I would like to say that I have thick enough skin that I couldn’t care less about what people think of me, but that would be a lie. I have to admit that I wish I could be a little less worried about the opinions of others, but that is a skill I haven’t mastered. While this can cause some undue stress and anxiety, I am not sure that Christians can completely avoid being sensitive to the opinions of the people around us. Interestingly, even the apostles weren’t immune from this challenge. When the Apostle Paul reflected on the way the world perceived him, he wrote, “… for we have regard for what is honorable, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.” (II Corinthians 8:21). While it is a no-brainer that he should be concerned about what God thinks about him and his decisions, he was also mindful of what others thought.
We need to find a happy medium between living miserably as the ultimate people-pleasers and having the wisdom to be appreciated by the people around us. When we do good, when we desire the best for others; we are more than likely going to live comfortably in a life of doing what is right in the eyes of God and what is pleasing to the community we are called to illuminate.

Think About It!

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