None of My Business

Your opinion of me is none my business, I live for an Audience of One (paraphrasing The Apostle Paul.) "We live by FAITH, not by sight...we make it OUR GOAL to please Him." 2 Cor 5:7,9 NIV

Why, O Why, do we REALLY do what we do?
We sometimes get so busy that we forget "our Whys."
We stop stopping, to ask why: What’s my TRUE motivation here?
Just like the Energizer Bunny, we just keep going and going … putting one Nike-clad foot in front of the other, running … in a hurry, but WHY, toward what end?

Sometimes my motivations are obvious.
Sometimes they are hidden in some dark recess of my heart.
Sometimes I’m not even sure what I’m up to...OR why I'm up to it!
How can this be? It’s my brain, my heart, my life… I'm in control of myself, right?

I used to believe I was in control of…well…everything, everyone, and pretty much whatever was going on around me. I looked around and saw that life was good (and if it wasn't, I fixed it.) Yep, I had set myself up as my own God. But, if a relationship went haywire, or if a big deal started to tank, I’d think, O God help me, beam me out of this mess, (mostly though, I relied on me, just adding the God-talk for extra insurance.)

I’m a people-pleaser by nature, toss in my sales & marketing background and I can be quite adept at manipulation. No big, bad lies, mind you… just careful, colorful wording to better-illuminate my key points, be relate-able...speak the language' of the audience at hand, set the stage, sugar-coat any ugliness, be selective with the facts when the whole truth may be 'complicated or unpleasant.' Why all this “massaging of words,” rather than straight-talk?
Because I had a desperate need to be loved and respected, didn't want to offend or alienate anyone. We all want to be liked, but my need was a 12 on a scale of 1 to 10. And I didn't even see it! I just thought hey, I like people and people like me! OPO (Other People’s Opinions of me) formed the core of my self image. If someone didn’t like me, then I must be a failure, so I'd better get busy, do whatever it takes to win them over.

You may be thinking, hey I think I do that too, hmmm maybe I’m an OPO-addict too? Is there a 12-step deal for this, what books should I run out and buy? There is ONE BOOK that changed everything for me. I started reading it about 10 years ago when Jesus came into my life. He is The Change-Agent. He began a major remodel on me the instant I said yes to Him; but, change in the area of OPO has been gradual... 3 steps forward, 10 back! When I start looking around instead of up for feedback, I'm sunk. That old familiar trap door opens and in I fall, unless I stop and ask The Lord to give me His strength.

I have had seasons of walking so closely with Him, reading His Word daily, then for some stupid reason I start self-directing again. Can Jesus change everything about a person upon their acceptance of Him? Yes, but for most of us acceptance is just the 1st step of a life-long process. Every morning the decision is ours, to yield... or not.
Strong-willed women require extra helpings of grace. On yielded days, days when I am still, and remember that He is God… then, I know for sure that His Opinion of me is the only one that matters. He is The Lord of my life He has an everlasting love for me, and He says that I am His Treasure, His Pearl; and He is mine. God wants to hear from me and help me. It seems too good to be true, but I know that it is True….not just for me, but all who seek His Face.

When I start wondering what people think of me, I open my Bible to one of Paul’s Letters. Paul achieved worldly success as a young man; then traded it all for the cause of Christ. Paul concluded that other’s opinions did not matter a hoot…and,not only that, he said OPO, other people’s opinions of him were none of his business. How about that! His only care was Christ… how freeing!

What if we all spoke the Truth, simply and lovingly... without defending ourselves, or manipulating others? What if we all truly lived for Christ Alone, An Audience of One!
Lord, let people's opinions of me be none of my business.
Lord, let pleasing YOU be my business and the motivation for everything I do.