A question for fellow Christians only please?

Question

Please, please please, just once - could I not get some half-witted smart mouth insult/quip about me and/or Christianity and just get nice, sincere answers from fellow Christians, please? PLEASE?

Ok. Here's my question - I find that I care too much about what people think of me. I mean, even people who hate me(especially people who hate me), even people who have said they never want to talk to me again, I still think about them and pray for them and wish we were friends. Even people who never really knew me and I met once or twice, I think about them - especially if they were mean in some way to me... isn't that messed up?

Anyway, my question is - how can I get my eyes off other people and stop viewing myself the way people who don't like me view me, and start viewing myself the way Jesus views me? I guess it's a problem with self-esteem? What do I do about it?

Thank you.

Thank you all for your answers - I am having a hard time choosing a best one. I am giving this over to God and I will read over your answers again when I am feeling low. Thank you for caring.

Answer 1

Jesus ever said that to be his follower is not an easy things..many people will dislike you because of Him.. just like the bible said be joyful when people dislike you because of Jesus...
I think it's good if you can pray for the all who hate you.. but it doesn't mean that you become bother because a lot of people dislike you.. Jesus always be there for you, we are all his children.. he loves us so much.. so isn't that very good to have a Father that loves us so much.. do you still care for what people think about you..

Answer 2

If my self-esteem depended on other's view of me, I'd be living a yo yo life!! Some like me this day, other don't and then what if they change their minds on a daily, weekly etc basis, then what?? This would cause depression, I'm sure eventually. Also, it is true that most people think of you what you think of yourself, so start loving God's beautiful creation! If you're around true friends that unconditionally care for you, this shouldn't be much of a problem. But mainly, love the person you are because The Lord created you to be you and loves you--and don't you value His opinion above all others!!!!

Answer 3

I would like you to say this prayer each time you want to remind yourself to be more like Jesus. This prayer has helped many of my friends and I think it will help you too. It is the meditation of St. Theresa. She is known as the saint of Little Ways. Meaning she believed in doing the little things in life well and with great love. She is also the patron saint of flower growers and florists.

May today there be peace within. May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith. May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given you. May you be content knowing that you are a child of God. Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of us. Amen.

You may want to personalize it a bit so that it becomes your own prayer.
Have a blessed and peaceful day!

Answer 4

Well, those people that are criticizing you are either begging for attention or they just want to push someone around. So I'd say, yeah just read and study the bible about how Jesus sees everybody.
Everyone is different, were all different from each other, no one should be ashamed to be there self. God created us individually and we all have spiritual gifts to show.
I can't tell you what to do, but I'm trying to help, give you some encouragement.
Try asking God to change your view on yourself. (If you haven't all ready)
May God be with you in your studies.

P.S. The last thing you want to do is paste notes on the mirror that say "I love myself" "I'm a good person" Sorry but that would just stir up proud thinking. We find our happiness through Christ, he gives us joy and love through him. We just need to keep our focus on him.

Answer 5

Hello:I think you have the Gift of Mercy The part You say people don"t like you or Hate you,You know where this is comming from.is an indcation You are doing a good Job,Take Heart this rage that comes out ,only toughens us. when people get mad and spew out filth,I know Satan is using
every Bluff to stop Believers,Salvation comes with scars and
wrinkles . Just don"t let someone else control your day.You don"t have a problem with self Esteem,You have a Gift focus it ,the Holy Spirit will show you When and How ,I am glad to be with Believers like you, (You) will be standing when the smoke clears.

Answer 6

I'm not a christian but I'm going to answer anyway. I'm not a bad person and I would really like to help. I kind of know where you are coming from. And yes you do have self esteem issues. If you can get some good counseling I would suggest that. Self esteem is a hard thing to create. As you said, you feel bad about yourself because you view yourself through others eyes. You need to really sit down and think about yourself and your life. A small but good place to start is by writing down this..."I LOVE MYSELF." "I AM A GOOD PERSON". "I WILL TREAT MYSELF WITH RESPECT". Tape these to your dresser or bathroom mirror. Look at yourself in that mirror every morning and repeat those phrases. It sounds silly but it does help. I'm sorry you are feeling this way. And again...if you can...talking to a therapist can help a great deal. Good Luck!

(((HUGS)))

Answer 7

You must be a very sensitive person. That is important when dealing with other people. You are able to feel their hurts and disappointments. This is a gift.

No one can judge themselves by what others think about them. We are all just the same. Just human beings. No one is better or less important than anyone else.

We all do need to care about how we treat others and remember that each person is probably concentrating on their own self image. Not yours.

I have a friend who doesn't worry about what other people think about her. She says that what they think is none of her business. I like that.

Answer 8

I suspect low self esteem is the culprit since you are basing your self worth on what others think of you.
Time to start finding things that you like within yourself and to look inwardly instead of allowing other people to look inwardly for you. Try to encircle yourself in a good Christian fellowship and get aquainted with people that share your interests and beliefs.
Why does it matter so much what other people think of you? If you don't like yourself or you look down upon yourself how can you expect other people to like you?

Answer 9

Realise
1) your not the only Christian who thinks this way
Satan loved to tell people "psh, you are the only one who feels this way, your weird.."ect.

did you know people didn't/don't like Jesus. But he kept going because he knew what he had to do...and when we are saved the Holy Spirit fills us and with that, Jesus. On our own, we cannot carry on.

The devil knows our weeknesses and will attack us at our weakest link to break us down. So put you best guards up (that would be Jesus). Arm yourself with scripture (I HIGHLY suggest reading Pslams).

But as I was saying, we cannot do it on our own. We MUST realise it is only by Jesus' perfect love can we do anything.

God Bless, Jeanna

Answer 10

Honestly? You need to talk to a counselor, someone who can help you focus your life a little more on you rather than others. These kinds of cycles can be hard to break on your own. You will have a lot more success with an objective, trained professional.
I'm not a christian, but that doesn't make me a bad person or unkind or unfeeling. You might want to talk to someone about that too.