Let go of your reputation

Listen or read. The choice is yours.

A couple weeks ago my son Josh came running to me with a complaint about his three year-old little sister. He said, “MOM, Bethany hit me!” I asked her if this was true and she answered in all seriousness, “Mom, he say I’m not cute!”

While the specifics may be different in your house, this seems like a common parenting problem. My kids are often coming to me with a concern about their reputation. Someone called them a name or accused them of being not cute or said they possessed a certain unpleasing aroma. I talk to my kids about using kind words, but I also work to help them be confident enough in who they are that the words of others don’t determine how they feel about themselves.

In all this talking I do about how we handle what people say about us, I can’t help but feel a bit convicted. Especially in our age of social media we can work hard to craft the kind of image and reputation we want. I’ve noticed I feel pretty protective of that image and I don’t always handle it well when I feel it’s threatened. If I’m not getting enough recognition or affirmation I can start to question my identity and feel insecure in who I am. Which should be a reminder of where my identity comes from.

I need to remember what I encourage my kids to focus on:  I am loved by God and He calls me his child. With that kind of identity I should have the confidence to love others well, regardless of what they say about me.