Am I saying this now to win the approval of people or God? Am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be Christ’s servant.
Galatians 1:10
Trying to control what others think about you is a waste of time and also the hardest thing to stop doing. Sometimes all your energy seems to be wrapped up in what other people think about you. From what you wear each morning to what you do all day, somewhere in the back of your mind you’re always thinking about what other people think and how to control those thoughts so they are in your favor. “Am I kind enough, smart enough, cute enough, faithful enough? Do they think I’m wise, bright, honorable?” You spend all your energy trying to look better to the rest of the world, but all of this is a waste of time because what others think is not your responsibility. You can never really control what other people think. Sure, you can try to. You can dress so they get who you are and act in a way that reveals your values and all that is good about you, but if they think something of you that isn’t true, you can’t freak out. And you can’t decide to fix their thoughts. Changing another person’s thoughts is not your job and not something you have the strength to do.
You have to fight the urge to justify yourself. After all, it’s Christ who justifies and God who defends, and can’t they do it a whole lot better than you? What others think or don’t think of you should never become your obsession. Listen to what they say, consider its truth, and then if it’s false, move on, knowing that God will speak for you if anyone needs to speak.