"YOUR HAIR LOOKS WEIRD"
Never place your ego in the hands of a three-year-old. I learned that years ago while visiting my son’s family. I was reading to my granddaughter, Kylie, who was three at the time. “I have a secret to tell you,” I said. Leaning in, I whispered in her ear, “God thinks you’re great; and so do I.”
I then asked, “Do you have a secret to tell me?” I expected an ego-building compliment such as, “I think you’re great too.” Instead she replied, “Your… hair… looks… weird!” Of all the secrets she could share with her adoring grandfather, that was all she could muster up? Then I wondered, “What’s so weird about my hair?”
But it got me thinking. Where does my identity and well-being lie: In who God declares me to be, or in what others think of me? Even if they’re only three years old.
In Galatians 1:10 Paul wrote, “I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant” (NLT). Elsewhere he declared, “It matters very little to me what you think of me” (1 Corinthians 4:3, MSG).
I’m forced to admit; the opinions of others matter far too much to me. I’m guessing I’m not alone. That’s why we wear ourselves out, meticulously monitoring our number of likes on Facebook, wearing only brand label clothes, and yes, our hair. I could expend exorbitant energy attempting to impress others, and discover they devote little time to thinking of me. They’re so concerned over what others think of them, they don’t pause long enough to worry about me.
In the end, God’s opinion is the only one that matters, and He thinks you’re great. You’re his “delightful child” (Ephesians 1:5) and “treasured possession” (Exodus 19:5). Even if you have “weird hair.”
Ponder:
On a scale of one to ten, how concerned are you about the opinions of others?
How can I switch my concern over what others think of me to what God thinks of me?
Pursue: For a deeper dive, study 1 Corinthians 4:1-5.
“Lord, set me free from the opinions of others, so that your concern is all that matters.”
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