“In you, Lord, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; deliver me in your righteousness.”
– Psalms 31:1
I remember playing piano recitals as a child. I felt confident, memorized, and nailed the song, but then in front of the audience, my hands got clammy, and I made mistakes. I thought everyone noticed and was laughing at me, but the truth is, nobody cared. This is known as the spotlight effect, where individuals tend to overestimate how much others are paying attention to them, often leading to feelings of self-consciousness and anxiety. This quote is often attributed to Winston Churchill: “When you’re 20, you care what others think. At 40, you stop caring. By 60, you realize no one was ever thinking about you.” Friend, you might be concerned about hurting someone’s feelings. I faced this struggle when I started planting a church. With a small congregation, I wanted to please everyone as a pastor, and I didn’t want to come across as mean. I had to establish a guiding principle: how can I do what is good and right, even if it may hurt someone’s feelings? The answer is to ask the Holy Spirit for help! Remember, as long as your actions are wise and moral, you should go ahead and do them. |
Prayer
Holy Spirit, guide me to do what is right, even if it may hurt someone’s feelings.
Reflection
Have you experienced the spotlight effect, overestimating how much attention others are paying to you? How can you address this false narrative?
If you’re unable to attend your local church or need some additional weekly inspiration, be sure to tune into Hour of Power online at hourofpower.org/episode.
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Formula for Failure
“I can’t give you a sure-fire formula for success, but I can give you a formula for failure: try to please everybody all the time.”
― Herbert Bayard Swope (Journalist, Pulitzer Prize Winner)