Caring What Others Think

Bible verses about caring what others think

I do not believe there is any way to fully stop caring what others think. We can become bold, we can do the will of God, we can become more confident, more extroverted, etc.

Although we can compress it and we can significantly become better in this area I believe that we were all affected by the fall. There is a psychological battle within us that we all have to deal with.

I know that some people struggle with this more than others, but never are we left to deal with this on our own. We must look to the Lord for help in our time of need.

God’s grace is sufficient for any problem that you may face because of this. Caring what other people think can cause you to make a terrible impression on others. Instead of being genuine and expressing who you are you put on a facade.

You change the way you do things and you try to impress instead. Your mind is going in so many different directions that it can cause you to just stall in anxiety. This is a huge topic that can go in so many different directions. Sometimes to get better with this all we need is confidence in the Lord, more experience, and practice.

For example, if you have to make a public speech and you are afraid of what others may think know that with experience you become better at it. Practice with a group of family members and above all cry out to the Lord for help.

Quotes

• “The greatest prison people live in is the fear of what other people think.”
• “One of the greatest mental freedoms is truly not caring what anyone else thinks of you.”
• “What God knows about me is more important than what others think about me.”
• “Until we care more about what God thinks than what other people think we are never truly free.” Christine Caine
• “You are not what others think you are. You are what God knows you are.”

Caring what others think really hurts your confidence. 

Think about it for a second. If you did not care what other people think, then you would be the most confident person in the world. You wouldn’t be dealing with those discouraging thoughts. “I’m too this or I’m too that or I can’t do this.” Fear would be something in the past.

Caring about the thoughts of others stops you from doing God’s will. Many times God tells us to do something and our family tells us to do the opposite and we get discouraged. “Everyone is going to think I’m a fool.” At one point I was working 15 to 18 hours a day on this site.

If I would have cared what others thought I would have never continued with this site. I would have never seen the goodness of the Lord. Sometimes trusting God and following His lead seems foolish to the world.

If God tells you to do something, then do it. I want to also remind you that there are mean people in this world. Don’t allow people to hurt you with negative words toward you. Their words are irrelevant. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. God thinks good thoughts about you so think good thoughts about yourself as well.

1. Proverbs 29:25 It is dangerous to be concerned with what others think of you, but if you trust the Lord, you are safe.

2. Psalm 118:8 It is better to take refuge in the LORD Than to trust in man.

3. 2 Corinthians 5:13 If we are “out of our mind,” as some say, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you.

4. 1 Corinthians 1:27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.

We may make a big deal out of things in our mind.

We are our biggest critics. No one criticizes yourself more than yourself. You have to let go. Stop making a big deal out of things and you won’t be so nervous and discouraged. What sense does it make to pretend that someone is judging us? Most people will not sit there and calculate your life.

If you have low self-esteem, you’re introvert, or you struggle with nervousness Satan will try to feed you lies. Don’t listen to him. Stop over thinking things. I believe you hurt yourself more by constantly making a big deal out of the smallest things. Many of us come from a dark past, but we must remember to look to the cross and the love of God.

Turn to Christ. He is enough. I said it before and I’ll say it again if you are confident in Christ you will be confident in every area of your life.

5. Isaiah 26:3 You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.

6. Philippians 4:6-7 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

7. Joshua 1:9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid: do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Caring what others think will cause you to miss out on a lot. 

What do I mean by this you ask? When you’re so focused on what others think it stops you from being yourself. You start to calculate everything and you say, “well I can’t do this or I can’t do that.” You can’t be yourself because you’re too busy being what you think others want you to be.

I remember I had a friend in middle school that was afraid to go out with a girl who he liked because he was afraid of what others would think. He missed out on a beautiful girl.

Caring what others think will cause you to fear every situation that you’re put in. You will be afraid to loosen up and have fun because you will think what if everybody laughs at me.

You might be afraid to meet new people. You will be afraid to have fun. You might be afraid to pray in public. It can cause you to make financial mistakes. You will be a people-pleasing yes man, it can even cause you to be afraid to tell others you’re Christian.

8. Galatians 1:10 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.

9. Ephesians 5:15-16 Be very careful, then, how you live–not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.

Being ashamed of God.

Sometimes just like Peter we tell God that we will never disown Him, but we disown Him every day. I used to have a fear of praying in public. I would go in restaurants and quickly pray when no one was watching. I used to care about the thoughts of others.

Jesus says, “if you’re ashamed of me on Earth I’ll be ashamed of you.” It got to a point where I couldn’t take it anymore and God helped me to boldly pray in public disregarding the thoughts of others.

I don’t care! I love Christ. He is all I have and I’ll boldly pray to Him before the world. Are there things right now in your life that reveal a heart that disowns God in some areas? Are you afraid to pray in public because of what other people think?

Do you turn down the Christian music when you’re in front of your friends? Are you always afraid to witness because of what others might think? Are you afraid to tell worldly friends that the real reason that you can’t do what they do is because of Christ?

Caring what others think is so dangerous to your testimony and to your walk of faith. You will become a coward and the Scriptures teach us that cowards will not inherit the Kingdom. Examine your life.

10. Mark 8:38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.

11. Matthew 10:33 But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.

12. 2 Timothy 2:15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.

Caring what others think leads to making bad decisions.

Sadly, we see this every day. We want people to notice us so we buy more expensive things. Many people are managing their finances terribly because they want people to have a better opinion about them. It is a terrible thing to buy things that you can’t afford to look good in front of others.

Caring what others think can also lead to sin. For example, you’re ashamed of your job so it leads to lying. You’re tired of your family asking when are you going to get married so you go out with an unbeliever.

You don’t want to seem like a square so you hang with the cool crowd and join in their ungodly activities. We must be careful and remove the demon of caring what others think from our lives.

13. Proverbs 13:7 One person pretends to be rich, yet has nothing; another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth.

14. Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

15. Ecclesiastes 4:4 And I saw that all toil and all achievement spring from one person’s envy of another. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

Caring what others think leads to a watered down gospel.

God cannot use you if you are afraid to offend people with the truth. The gospel is offensive! There is no other way around it. After over a decade of being alone with God John the Baptist went to go preach and he had no fear of man. He didn’t go out to seek fame or a title he went to preach repentance.

When is the last time that you’ve heard a TV preacher tell their audience to turn away from their sins? When is the last time that you have heard a TV preacher say that to serve Jesus it’s going to cost you your life? When is the last time that you have heard Joel Osteen teach that it is hard for the rich to enter into Heaven?

You won’t hear that because the money will stop coming in. The gospel is so watered down that it is no longer the gospel. If I didn’t hear the true gospel I would have never been saved! I would have been a false convert. It’s all of grace and I can still live like the devil that is a lie from Hell.

You preach a watered down gospel and their blood is on your hands. Some of you need to get alone with God and stay there in a lonely place until God makes a man out of you. You won’t care what people think.

16. Luke 6:26 Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for their fathers used to treat the false prophets in the same way.

17. 1 Thessalonians 2:4 but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who examines our hearts.

There are times when we should care.

I had to add this extra point so no one goes overboard. When I say don’t care what others think I am not saying to live in sin. I am not saying that we shouldn’t be careful about causing our brothers to stumble. I am not saying that we shouldn’t listen to authority or to correction.

I am not saying that we shouldn’t humble ourselves and love our enemies. There is a way that we can go so far in the wrong direction with this that we can hurt our Christian testimony, we can be loveless, arrogant, selfish, worldly, etc. We have to use godly and wise discernment when we should care and when we shouldn’t.

18. 1 Peter 2:12 Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world.

19. 2 Corinthians 8:21 For we are taking great care to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord, but also in the eyes of men.

20. 1 Timothy 3:7 Furthermore, he must have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the snare of the devil.

21. Romans 15:1-2 We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up.