Don't Take It Personal

"The lamp of The Lord searches the spirit of a man; it searches out his inmost being."-Proverbs 20:27

I am about to confess a weakness. Not very many people like to confess their weaknesses or struggles, but it is healthy...sometimes.

Don't worry, you won't have to close your eyes or read this with another person to hold you accountable, it's a simple struggle, but one I think a lot of us deal with. 

Are you ready? Breathe in, breathe out. Here it is...

I want to be liked.

There I said it. I want to be liked. Why is this a struggle? Well, it effects a lot of what I do. As a youth pastor I want kids and their parents to like me. As a person, I want people to think I'm an alright guy and enjoy my company.

Most importantly, as a follower of Christ, I want people to enjoy who I am.

When I feel or know someone doesn't like me, I take it personally. I feel guilty. I feel like I have done something wrong. I feel like, maybe there is something wrong with me and I need to do some internal reflection to discover my flaw.

Then, I have to step back, breathe, and realize I am being unrealistic. 

I can't take this personal. I am a unique individual, for those who know me, they would agree. I have my idiosyncrasies, that's a fancy word for quirks, that may rub certain people the wrong way. We all do. 

My sense of humor is unique to me and it takes awhile for some to get used to. Many times, they don't know how to take my goofiness. Yet, I still remain who I am.

I have to realize that not everyone is going to like me. I won't please everyone. I won't make everyone laugh with my weird jokes or one-liners. To some degree, I have come to terms with this fact, but it's still hard for me to handle as someone who wants to be liked. 

I just have to be who I am. I am going to love people the way Christ has called me to love. I am going to serve to the best of my ability. I am going to teach His message to the best of my ability, until He calls me away from it. I will continue to make weird jokes that I might be the only one laughing at. Some will like it, some won't. Some will take the time to learn about me, some won't. 

If you don't like me because I'm a jerk or I kicked your cat, then I understand, but consider this my apology. Although, I haven't kicked anyone's cat, on purpose, ever, so you owe me an apology for holding a grudge over something I didn't do!

That's the best I can do and, I hope, that God will continue to give me the strength to not take things personal and move along being me.

I hope you like this post. :)

QUESTION: Do you find it hard or easy to deal with people who don't like you?