What do you think of me?

Do you struggle with what other people might think of you?  Are you forever concerned how “what you say or do” might be interpreted by others?

You’re not alone.

I, for one, am with you at this pity-party of insecurity wrapped in the secrecy of fear.  Fear of rejection.  Fear of embarrassment.  Fear of failure.  Fear.

Actually, that’s not entirely true.  I’m not really with you at this party anymore.  Yet this change has been so recent, that I still default to my former insecure mindset.  It all started when a friend looked at me and said, “Elisa, don’t you see the value of what God has done in you and through you?  Don’t you see value in who you are as an individual and the gifts you bring forth for the benefit of others?”

Nope.

Up to that point, I never thought of myself as having value.  Nor would I have use the word valuable to describe my contributions to this world, to my family, or to the body of Christ. It is not like I consciously described myself as invaluable.  I was just neither here nor there in my thinking.

Shocking.  I know.  But I think you understand and struggle with this concept of value, too.  I see it written all over the faces of the teens I work with and the women I do real life with, so I bet I can peer through this screen and see it on your face, too.

But you are valuable, as a woman of any age, made in the image of God with His incredible purposes set forth before you.  Your value is found in knowing your identity in Christ.  That identity, however is often buried by false thinking, which needs to be transformed by the truth as revealed by Holy Spirit drawing upon the Word (thus the reason for being in the Word daily!)

It was through a profound coaching conversation, I discovered that my fear of rejection has kept me from stepping out and sharing about More to Be.  Even though I believe this ministry is incredibly valuable, and the gifts I bring to it are absolutely purposed by God, I hesitate at times for fear of what others might think of me if I put it all out there.  The fear is holding me captive, keeping me from living out God’s best.  By being salve to this fear, it is costing me joy in serving the Lord the way He designed.  But it doesn’t have to stay this way.  Not for me. Not for you.

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We do not need to live afraid of what others might think of us.   Nor do we need to live apart from our identity in Christ.  We can live believing we are who God says we are and can do what He calls us to with joy!  How?  Here are some suggestions…

1.  Get Right with God
Take a few minutes to consider your relationship with God.  Maybe it is time for a life change?  Maybe it is time to consider what your thinking really lines ups with and do a Mental Makeover?  Maybe you need to discover your true identity?

2.  Get into the Word
Without the Word, it is impossible to be transformed in our thinking and living.  Use our Immersed Challenge to get you deep into Scripture, quickly and easily!

3.  Get Coached
if you are in an emotionally healthy place, consider the benefits of working with a coach who can come alongside you, ask the tough questions, and help you move forward in your God given value.  Find out more about coaching, here.

4.  Get Your Hands on the Resources
We have a ton of resources available here at More to Be!  We have Biblical relevant and life-application rich downloads as well as thought-provoking ebooks.  We also have links to fantastic books and studies.  The latest one to hit our lists is  What Do You Think of Me? Why Do I Care?: Answers to the Big Questions of Life*, by Edward T. Welch.  This book is written specifically to young adults, but I found it suited perfectly for me.   It captures the challenge we face in seeking approval from others and unpacks how to change our thinking.  Here’s a few thoughts from the publisher:

In an increasingly unstable culture, being obsessed with what others think is an escalating struggle among teens and young adults, leading to more serious consequences than ever before. Although everyone—whether they’re sixteen or sixty—works hard to win someone’s approval or ward off someone’s rejection, these issues plague teenagers and young adults with particular intensity. And how teens and young adults answer the big questions of their lives now will affect the direction of their adult lives for better or worse. In this new book,  Welch extends hope to those weary of hiding behind a mask of performance in order to gain love and acceptance.

* provided for review purposes.