We all care about what other people think of us.
Do you feel the urge to explain your mistakes or faults to others? Do you believe that not explaining yourself or your actions bears the risk that someone will form an opinion about you without your input?
Perhaps you have difficulty with vulnerability. Accepting that others will form opinions about us—sometimes untrue, often unchangeable—is the first step toward being pure in heart.
This requires us to evaluate truthfully what motivates our actions. Sometimes we may want to hide who we are and present to the world the person we want others to believe us to be. Be brave enough to be vulnerable, to be who you are. If we are misunderstood by others, remember that God gets it.
Today is the first Sunday of Christmas. This message was adapted from “Pure in Heart” written by Karris Golden that first appeared in the March 2008 issue of Lutheran Woman Today (now Gather) magazine.