Stop worrying about what other people think

“The fear of man is a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is set securely on high.” Proverbs 19:25 BSB

In an article titled “Three running habits to break right now” posted by Canadian Running Magazine yesterday, the writer listed, “Trying to make your runs look good on Strava” as the number one habit to break right now and then explained why: If there’s one thing I’ve learned as both a coach and an athlete, it’s this: over the long term, the workouts that build strength, power and endurance don’t come across as sexy on Strava. Consistency works. Sometimes that means you’ll be hammering out a snappy tempo run, but usually that means just getting out the door for easy mileage. If you’ve ever avoided a hill because you wanted to nail a certain pace on Strava, you could probably benefit from taking a Strava-snooze from worrying about what others think.

And you know, when it comes to worrying about or fearing what other people may think about you, the Bible says that “the fear of man is a snare.” You see, many believers have an anxious need to receive positive affirmation from those around them and so worry about what they say, what they do, or even what they post. Left unchecked, these fears can lead us to be people-pleasers and to give in to the peer pressure to go along with the crowd, to compromise our values, and to stay quiet about our faith—all things that a true follower of Jesus Christ must never do. Instead we are to trust in the Lord with our whole hearts knowing He will keep us safe. 

So don’t worry about what other people think about you my friend. Their opinion has no lasting consequence for your life. Rather focus on serving and fearing only the One who has the power of life and death. His opinion is the only one that truly matters. 

Heavenly Father, thank You for reminding us that worrying about what others think of us is a trap that will keep us from serving You as we should. Cause us to look only to You for acceptance and to be bold and unapologetic in sharing our faith with others. It’s in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen. 

Happy Running!