I worry too much sometimes what others think of me. As a Bible believing Christian, this is not a good idea. First, it puts a bunch of pressure on me that is not at all necessary. Why is that, one might wonder?  Jesus sums it up when he tells us, “ Love the Lord your God with everything you’ve got and love your neighbor as yourself”. (my paraphrase). And don’t forget the commandments, in the first one God says (in part) “have no other gods before me”. Never mind that some think it’s the ten suggestions. To me that means that I don’t want to put what friends think of me (what I’ll do to impress them so they’ll like me) ahead of how God sees me.

Can we change the way God see’s us without getting caught up in a works-righteousness trip? (making ourselves right before God by our good works instead of the faith he gives us through His substitutionary death and resurrection? Yes, if I’m sinning (as we all do on a regular basis) I need to stop and turn around from that particular sin (repent) and turn towards a forgiving and helping-me-stay-above that sin, heavenly Father. So how tough a temptation is it for us to make friends into an idol of sorts by caring more what they think than what God thinks? I’m convinced that for most if not all of us it’s a spiritual battle that never ends and takes (what all Christians should be doing) much prayer, Bible reading, church attendance and being accountable to a group of God fearing elders and pastor, not to mention your husband/wife and brothers and sisters in Christ.

Should we treat friends like they’re made in God’s image? Should we obey God’s Word as Jesus said and love our neighbor as ourselves? The modern expression I recall when something is a foregone conclusion is, no duh!

There’s a warning from God in Psalm 2 which says, “Kiss the Son lest He be angry, and you perish in the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are those who put their trust in Him.” I love God and I know He loves and takes care of me. But is He the mushy, candy sweetie-nice God folks make up in their Biblically ignorant mind? So I pray, Lord, help me today not to put what others think (so I’ll be liked by them) above what I can (and should) plainly read any day of the week in your Law/Word, You expect of me.