One of the things that I struggle with is worrying about what people think of me. I know that this may seem childish, but it’s a legit struggle.

(You can learn more about me and my struggles on the Me, Myself and I page)

I’m an introvert which means many things. First, it means that I have trouble expressing my thoughts and feelings. Second, it means I have to think about what I am going to say before I say it. It takes me a while to put my thoughts together so I can know what words I need to say. Sometimes I am so worried about what whether or not I am going to say the right thing that I never actually share the thoughts inside my head.

This is all because I am afraid of what people will think.

How many times have you been paralyzed with this very fear? Right now maybe?

Why do we care so much?

Why does it matter what people think of us?

Sometimes the hardest thing to do is fall asleep. While lying in bed at night, we are often reminded of what went wrong during the day. We are constantly reminded of the negative things people said of us. We are also reminded of the things we did not say and the things we did not do.

Why do these things haunt us? Why do these things follow us around?

I believe the biggest problem starts with our minds. Inside our heads, we can store thoughts about people that no one may ever know about. We think thoughts about people that can be positive or negative and whether or not we decide to share them is our choice.

While we are so worried about what others are thinking about us…

We might be surprised to find out that they are thinking the exact same thing.

While you are going about your day observing everyone in their everyday norm, you may find someone observing you too. It may not be to judge you or to make you feel insecure, but maybe they feel the same way. They may be wondering what thoughts you are thinking about them. While this person is looking around, looking insecure or looking at you, they might be thinking…

“What if I wore the wrong outfit today?”

What if I just said the wrong thing?”

“Everyone is waiting for me to do something stupid!”

“Yep! Even that guy over there! He just gave me that look of disapproval. I must have worn the wrong outfit.”

“If I get up one more time to use the bathroom, I will look like a loser.”

“I am a failure. Just look at the look on that girls face.”

If you have ever thought something like this while you were with a group of people or while you were out and about on your own, you are not alone.

Why do we struggle so much with what people think of us?

We struggle because people are constantly judging us. The key word is judging.  Once we learn to stop judging each other and start Loving  one another

In High School, I struggled with insecurity. I also struggled with low self-esteem. I was in an all girls P. E. Class and things did not go so well. On Fridays, we played sports for fun, but for me they were not that fun. Two of the sports we played were dodge ball and whiffle ball.

I was not the best at sports.

Shocker…

I was either too slow at running the bases in Whiffle ball or always getting knocked out in Dodge ball. Some of the girls would do their best to remind me about how terrible I was doing. I would then apologize and try to make myself invisible, but you know how well that works.

I would come to school constantly worrying about what people would be thinking of me in P.E. I was so self-conscious about a simple game of Whiffle ball that I could not even swing the bat without hearing the things they would say to me in my head.

It is because of this experience that I am always so worried about what people think of me. When some of the girls in my P.E. class, would remind me of how I was always messing up in P.E. I would keep apologizing for things I did not need to be apologizing for. Yes, I knew that at times I missed the ball that was thrown my way. Or I would be standing in the way of a ball that was thrown during dodge ball and be the first one out. I may not have been great at sports, but you get the picture.

Where am I going with this story?

Because of this I am alway wondering what people will say when I mess up.

The most important thing is everything you think of me.

But it doesn’t have to be.

Since then I have learned a lot.

I have learned that I do not have to worry about what others think.

I do not have to be insecure.

I do not have to have low self-esteem.

I can be confident in who I am.

I can be secure in who I am.

Everything we think about others can impact someone’s life.

Everything we say about someone can change a life.

Whether what we think of someone is good or bad….

Whether what we say about them is good or bad…

Everything we think is crucial.

Your thoughts matter. You Matter.

They matter because there is someone that can read your thoughts before we even think them.

He is someone that knows our struggle, our hurt, our pain.

He is just like us.

His name is Jesus.

Jesus wants us to be confident in who we are.

Jesus wants us to know that we do not have to be afraid of what other people think of us. Jesus wants us to know that when other people are thinking negatively about us, he is loving us. And he is loving those who think little of us too.

He loves us all. No matter what they think. No matter what we think. He loves us.

When you feel down about your appearance remember that you were made by the same hands who made the stars. And remember that no matter what you look like, Jesus still loves you the same.

Everything he thinks of you matters.

When he looks at you, he sees you for who you really are. Not for what you wear, not for what you say, and not for the things you may have done.

When Jesus looks at you,

When Jesus sees you, he smiles, and says, “You are enough.”

And When we realize we are enough for the Son of God, everything everyone thinks of us fades and we can stop worrying.

Because you are enough. You have always been enough.