Fear of Rejection

Deep down, I think all humans have some level of fear of rejection. A fear of putting ourselves out there, and at best they ignore us and, at worst, judge us. My level of fear is quite high and is a diagnosable condition, but what are we afraid of? Often, we think our value and self-worth depend on what other people think of us; we are wrong. We do not need to seek approval from others, for our self-worth is based on something far deeper than gossip and rumor. Self-worth is based on the imago Dei; the image of God that every single one of us was created in. Look, again I understand the fear, I really do, but the grace of God runs deeper when we recognize whose we are. When we see ourselves in Jesus, we do not need approval from anyone else. If we truly live as Jesus taught us, do you know what happens? We begin to gain approval from others too.

                  But here lies another problem: how ready and willing are we to proudly say that we are Christians out of fear of rejection?