By Gobel Brockman
This week I want to address what I believe is one of the biggest lies that we try to tell ourselves. We've all heard it, and I would dare say that at one time or another most of us have said it. We say it when we want to justify ourselves, defend ourselves, or save face when we have embarrassed ourselves. What lie am I speaking of?
"I don't care what other people think about me."
Sorry, but that's a lie.
What's that? "Prove it!" you say? OK, let me ask you a few honest questions:
*How long does it take you to get ready for work, church, or a social event?
Once we get out in public, we don't see ourselves. We can't see our face, hair, or how our choice in clothing looks in full view unless we find a mirror or spend our days taking countless "selfies." So if we don't care what others think about us, for whom are we getting all "gussied up?"
*Do you have a social media account (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) that you post on frequently?
We don't post our thoughts and opinions on social media to remind ourselves of how we feel about things. (If you do, I'll be praying for your memory issues.) We post daily about what we're going to do, what we're doing, or what we're about to do. (I've often said that Facebook is a place where busy people are never too busy to stop by and tell people just how busy they are.) We let everyone know what we've had for breakfast, what brand of coffee, tea, or soft drinks we prefer, how we plan to vote in upcoming elections, and a myriad of other tidbits about our personal lives. Since we're already well aware of all of these facts about ourselves, who are we telling them to if we "don't care what other people think?"
*When talking with others, do you ever share your thoughts or opinions about anything?
If in your everyday conversations you always ONLY talk about what the other person is doing, thinking, or feeling, the "I don't care what other people think" argument may have a bit of validity. But in my 50+ years of living I've yet to meet anyone like that - and I'm not holding my breath that will change anytime soon (even if I do like the color blue.)
My point is simple: Until we go out in public without paying attention to how we look, delete all our social media accounts, and stop sharing our thoughts and opinions in daily conversations completely, I contend that we DO care what other people think about us. And I've said all of that to say this: when people look at my life, I can't help but wonder what they see? I care what people think about me for a simple reason: I'm not just representing myself in this life. As a Christian, every aspect of my life is supposed to be a reflection of the faith in Jesus Christ that I publicly proclaim, and I daily ask myself just how well or how poorly I'm representing Him. I'm basing all of this on what Paul said in Galatians 2:20:
"I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."
In light of all of this I ask myself, "Does how I present myself on a daily basis truly represent the life of Christ in me? Does my social media activity enhance or harm my witness for Christ? Do I have enough genuine concern for others that the love of Jesus is truly evident in me? If I'm called to share my faith with others (Matthew 28:19) that "sharing" will be much more than just a few words I say here and there; it will be seen in the way I conduct myself on a continual basis. My prayer is that people can see Jesus in me.
You see, I DO care what others think about me. The reason is that I want them to think about Jesus because of me.
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