What People Think!

May 4, 2023

What People Think!

I know that sometimes I can pay a little too much attention to what other people think about me.  It’s mostly about not wanting to offend or put off people about which I care as well as people with whom I don’t yet have a relationship. 

However, there is more.  Sometimes I pay too much attention to what other people think about me because I doubt myself; my skills, my perspective, and maybe even my worth.  The more I doubt myself, the more attention I pay to what other people think of me.  Sadly, all of this spills over into my spiritual life.

Last week, I read a portion of Jesus’ teaching called, “The Sermon On The Mount.”  In Matthew 6:1-8, Jesus speaks about our obsession with what people think about us.  Jesus addresses the topic by using two of the most commonly practiced spiritual disciplines; giving and praying.

With regard to giving, Jesus tells us to not announce to other people that we are giving our offering or tithe to the Lord.  In Matthew 6:2 Jesus says that some give “…so that they may be praised by others.”  Of course, Jesus warns against giving our gifts to the Lord because of what other people may think.

Jesus shares a similar warning with regard to our prayers.  In Matthew 6:5 Jesus says that some are praying “…so that they may be seen by others.”  Again, Jesus tells us to focus our prayers on our Father in heaven rather than on what other people may think.

And yet, there are times when we all struggle with the temptation to focus more on what other people think of our spiritual practices than what Jesus thinks.  Of course, the temptation goes far beyond our spiritual disciplines. 

Students struggle more than we know with the temptation to pay too much attention to what other people think.  The shoes they wear, the clothes they buy, and the way they fix their hair as well as the parties they attend, the sports they play, and the grades they earn are often clouded by paying too much attention to what other people think.

Adults struggle with the temptation, too.  The car I drive, the neighborhood in which I live, and the “big boy toys” in the garage are often strongly influenced by what we think other people will think. 

Too much focus on what people think leaves me feeling judged and doubting my self-worth.  I begin to wonder if people really love me and accept me.  If I go too far down that path, I can begin to wonder if Jesus really loves and accepts me.

Jesus meets a woman with very different political views than His own.  In addition, her theological convictions are very different than those of Jesus.  She also lives by a very different set of moral standards than does Jesus.  And, her racial/ethnic background is usually not accepted by those from Jesus racial/ethnic background.

What people think makes a big difference to this woman.  In contrast, Jesus wants her to know that what He thinks is much more important than what other people think. 

To make His point, Jesus tells the woman to go and bring back her husband.  However, she resists because she believes Jesus will judge her like everyone else has done. 

In John 4:18 Jesus acknowledges her failed relationships.  Jesus says; “…you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband.”  Jesus knows her better than she knows herself…and He still loves her. 

The good news is Jesus knows you better than you (and everyone else!) knows you…and Jesus stills loves you.

A woman so focused on what other people think of her is set free to know forgiveness, acceptance, and love in a way she had never known before.  Her mind is changed, her heart is changed, her soul is changed, and her life is changed.  The transformation is dramatic!

She quickly goes back to the same people about whom she was so worried what they thought of her.  With great conviction, she tells them she has met the Savior.  She tells them her life has been changed because of what the Son of God thought about her.

It is difficult to imagine the delight that filled her heart that day. 

She is filled with delight because of what the Lord had done in her life. 

She is filled with delight because of the goodness and greatness and grace of the Lord God. 

She is filled with delight because Jesus sees her as more than her faults and failures; Jesus sees her as a precious child of God! 

I encourage you to make the shift from the anxiety that comes from focusing on what other people think about you to the delight that comes in focusing on what Jesus thinks of you.  May delight fill your heart today.

Take Delight In The Lord!

Doug