And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord.

Col. 3:23

“At age twenty, we worry about what others think of us. At age forty, we don’t care what they think of us. At age sixty, we discover they haven’t been thinking about us at all”! I love that saying; it helps me to keep perspective, and it reminds me of the folly of trying too hard to please other people.

When they were in their early teens, they all vehemently proclaimed that they wanted to dress in their own particular way. Yet when I toured the school, it seemed to me that every junior higher was wearing the same jeans, the same shirt, and the same shoes. (Yes, the colors varied.) They were so afraid someone would notice that everything wasn’t just right.

Most of us grow out of the junior high obsession with being just like everyone else, but many still spend their lives trying to get approval from others and fit in. That’s why the apostle Paul reminds us to be careful about whom we are trying to please. And Paul promises that if we live for the approval of God rather than that of other people, we will be rewarded for doing so.

Thought:  If I live for what others think of me, I’ll have an empty hand, but if I live for the Lord’s approval, I’ll reap a rich reward. Today I choose to live for Him.