➰My Peace over Their Opinion➰
▪️A hard pill i’ve had to swallow recently is sometimes I’m more worried about what people think than what God thinks. I will literally lose sleep over someone being irritated with me, but barely stop to ask if God is pleased...
▪️We are meant to carry each other’s burdens. We are meant to show up to help lift what feels too heavy for someone else to hold alone.
▪️But what I’ve been struggling with is somewhere along the way, I started confusing “carrying burdens” with “carrying opinions”…
▪️Yes, we are called to help carry other’s pain. We are not called to carry their moods, their assumptions, their side comments, and their quiet disapprovals.
▪️When we make decisions (big or small) that ate for ourself, and it upsets others, that isn’t a burden we have to carry. 💯(I forget this)
▪️Galatians 6:2 reads “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” And goes on to say each person should carry their own load. There’s a difference between a burden (something crushing) and a load (something that belongs to someone else).
•Their reaction?
•That’s their load. 👏🏼
▪️God’s thought process is clear:
• Love people deeply.
• Help when you can.
• Be kind.
• But don’t become enslaved to human approval.
▪️That anxious, heartbroken feeling when someone is mad? That’s not from God. That’s fear of man. And fear traps us and keeps us small
▪️The truth that I’m learning the hard way is you can be loving and still have boundaries. You can be selfless and still take tome for yourself. You can disappoint someone and still be obedient to God.♥️
▪️Carrying someone’s burden is fulfilling, carrying their opinion is not. 💯
▪️ Prayer
Lord, You know my heart. You know how deeply I care and how easily I get tangled up in what people think of me. I don’t want to live for others approval. I don’t want anxiety to run my obedience. Teach me the difference between a burden You’ve called me to help carry and a weight that was never mine to hold♥️. Quiet the fear of disappointing others. Remind me that Your opinion is the only one that defines me. Help me love people well without losing myself in the process.♥️ If You are pleased, let that be enough.
Amen. 🤍
One profound experience I've had that echoes the message "My Peace over Their Opinion" is realizing how much mental energy I wasted trying to appease others instead of focusing on my own spiritual and emotional well-being. For a long time, I felt guilty whenever people were upset with my decisions, even when those decisions reflected my values and faith. It was exhausting and left me feeling small and anxious. What truly helped me was reflecting on scriptural wisdom, especially Galatians 6:2, which highlights the importance of carrying each other’s burdens while also recognizing personal responsibility for one’s own load. This gave me clarity that not every negative reaction from others is mine to carry. Distinguishing between what God calls me to bear and what is simply others’ opinions freed me from unnecessary worry. I also started practicing setting healthy boundaries. Being loving doesn't mean absorbing everyone’s emotions or silently tolerating unfair criticism. On the contrary, establishing boundaries allowed me to love more genuinely without compromising my peace. For example, I found that I could support friends without taking on their moods or judgments. When someone reacts negatively to my choices, I remind myself "That’s their load to carry," which reduces anxiety and helps me stay grounded in my faith. This journey taught me that selflessness and self-care aren’t mutually exclusive. Prioritizing God's approval over societal or individual expectations has been transformative. It helps me love others well while preserving my peace. I encourage anyone wrestling with similar struggles to pray for wisdom and strength, as in the prayer from the post—asking God to quiet fears of disappointing others and to focus on His pleasure rather than human approval. Ultimately, recognizing the difference between burdens and opinions empowers us to live authentically, love deeply, and walk confidently in our faith without being enslaved to external validation.
