Self-conscious

<<ill at ease>>

This is being embarrassed or uneasy knowing others are observing and probably judging your performance in their minds, especially when stepping outside your comfort zone. Self-conscious people feel intimidated and don’t have confidence in front of others, not liking or used to being the centre of attention, or standing out from the crowd (Jn 12:42). An undue “Fear of man will prove to be a snare” (Prov 29:25).The key is to keep focused on Jesus and seek to please Him – my chief supporter – rather than wondering what other people are thinking. Over time and with the repetition of a task your fear will go and you will become confident and at ease with what was once a daunting ordeal.

Regularly we should ask ourselves: Where is my focus? Whom am I striving to please today? Do I have the fear of the Lord, aware He is watching and evaluating everything I think, say, or do (Prov 1:7)? As believers we are to die

May I be God-conscious, not self-conscious

to ourselves and be Christ-focused, living for Him – John the Baptist expressed it as “He must become greater; I must become less” (Jn 3:30; Lk 9:23; Gal 2:20; Heb 12:2). Pleasing God is to be our highest goal and this takes the focus of attention away from over-focusing on ourselves.