Our society seems to be one of always caring about what other people think. Many boys like to have a suave hairstyle, many girls like to douse themselves in makeup. Whether it’s where we live or what car we have, the clothes we wear or the food we eat, so often a determining factor can be what it will look like to other people.
Much of that can be shrugged off,
but it even affects how we act. We wouldn’t like to be seen to be in a
situation where our actions could be misinterpreted, therefore we sometimes
avoid such situations. In fact, many people would tell you that the sensible option is to avoid such a
situation.
But what happens when this
clashes with other values we may hold?
Does another person hold any
value when we want to make sure we
don’t look bad? Should I drive the young person home on my own to avoid them
having to walk 45 minutes in the freezing cold? Should I make someone spend
money to catch the bus when I’m travelling the same journey at the same time?
Should I change my plans just
because someone, somewhere might think negatively about it? Should I cancel an
evening activity for young people, not because it breaks the law, but because
there aren’t enough adults to please others? Should I submit to a higher
authority rather than positively impacting the lives of others?
Why do we bow the knee to the
thoughts of a select few, at the expense of the needy? Why do we care how
others perceive our motives? If we have a pure heart and pure motives, why do
we allow our compassion to be restricted? Why do we let others dictate how our
kindness is displayed? Why should a godly way of life be quenched because
someone, somewhere might disagree with it?
When did we make the thoughts of other people our god?
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