By Akpeli Othuke Andrew
Too many of us has made it our life’s work to change someone else’s opinion of us. We are determined to prove to them that we are valuable. Now, you cannot be like the guy who quipped, ‘I like talking to myself, because I like dealing with a better class of people.’ But neither can you base your worth on the opinions of those who put you down. When Harry Truman was thrust into the presidency by the death of Franklin Roosevelt, Sam Rayburn, Speaker of the House, took him aside and said, ‘You are going to have lots of people around you. And they will tell you what a great man you are, Harry. But you and I both know that you are not.’ As it turned out, Truman became a truly great president.
Until you quit agreeing with those who have mistreated you, or bowing to the event that crippled you emotionally, you will remain locked in a prison of your own making. When your critic’s opinion becomes your opinion, you will build a prison inside your soul with only one prisoner; you. Are you prepared to accept that some of the people you have spent your life trying to impress, may never be impressed? And can you accept that from God’s perspective; it doesn’t matter? To succeed in life you must be able to work alongside people without allowing yourself to be controlled by their moods or governed by their opinions. This is what Paul was talking when he said, ‘Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or God? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.’
Feel free to add your comments in the box below.
