"What do people think of me?"

I think this is a question we all have often pondered on many occasions. There are several reasons why we may ask ourselves or others this question.

1. We desire to change something about us for the sake of becoming a better person.
For those of us who always need some sort of fixer-upper project, this is the best reason for asking how someone else sees us. We genuinely want to improve; but we use the measuring stick of other people's opinions instead of focusing on our own goals.

2. We long for approval.
This is rooted in every human being. Even as babies, we thrive when someone smiles, claps their hands, and tells us we've done a good job.

3. We want to change to make ourselves look better to other people.
For those of us who are people-pleasers or perfectionists, we can't stand being outdone by anyone or seen as inferior by anyone.

4. We want to know how good, pretty, funny, etc. people think we are.
Plain and simple, this is pride. We seek out the praise of others to play it back to people if ever someone asks: "What makes you so special?"

5. We haven't been looking to Christ for our identity.
This is the biggest failure on our part in this desire for acceptance and approval.

The One Who Created us is the only one whose opinion matters. It's hard to look into that mirror of the Word and see that we are wretched, dirty sinners with no hope of becoming anything else (Jeremiah 17:9, Romans 1:28-32). On the flip-side, we also see that we are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14). We are no longer condemned because we are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). We are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a peculiar people, lights made to shine in this dark world (1 Peter 2:9). We are loved by His grace, forgiven by His redemptive work, and mighty in His great power. In all this, we know that we are more than peoples' opinions of us.