It’s Not About What They Think

Thursday, September 24, 2026

Good morning, friends. I’ve got my coffee, I’m heading to work, and I’m walking into the same building I walked into yesterday, only today I’m carrying a little more on my mind.

Yesterday’s meeting didn’t go quite as positively as I had hoped. There were workers talking about how they don’t want to do the job anymore because the negativity in the building has become so overwhelming. Honestly, I understand their frustration because I’m frustrated, too. It’s hard to supervise people when the attitude and mood around you are already negative. I try to be the positive one. I try to be the shiny light in the middle of it all, but sometimes that’s hard. Sometimes it’s really hard not to get pulled into the negativity when you’re feeling the same frustration everyone else is feeling.

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But that’s part of life, isn’t it? Workplaces have frustration, drama, disagreements, and people who don’t always see things the same way. You can leave one job and walk into another one with its own set of problems, and sometimes those problems can be even worse. So this morning, I’m trying to frame my mind differently. I’m not going to spend so much time worrying about what everyone else thinks.

People are going to have opinions about me whether I want them to or not. Somebody isn’t going to like the way I handled something. Somebody is going to disagree with a decision I made. Somebody might be upset because I pushed a decision they weren’t involved in. And if I’ve done something wrong, I’ll own it. I’ll apologize and try to make it right. But I can’t spend my life trying to make everybody happy.

We were reading in Ephesians last night, and some of what we read really stuck with me. It’s not about the works I do for other people or whether everyone approves of me. It’s not about whether everybody agrees with me or thinks I’m doing a good job. Ultimately, it’s about what God thinks. That’s where I’m trying to put my focus this morning.

I can get completely bent out of shape because I don’t make enough money. I can compare myself to someone else because they make more than I do. I can get frustrated because someone doesn’t like the way I handled something. I can let somebody else’s opinion ruin my entire day. Or I can remember why I’m there. I go to work to do my job and pay my bills. That’s really what it comes down to.

A lot of people talk about the work I do as a calling, and honestly, I do believe God brought me to this job. When I was on maternity leave, I knew the company I had been working for was shutting down and moving in a different direction. I knew there was a good chance I was going to get a pink slip when I returned, so I started looking. This job came along at almost exactly the right time, right as we were getting ready to pick up Garrett. A good friend suggested it, I applied, and I got it. Looking back, I can absolutely see God’s hand in getting me here.

But does that mean this is where I’m supposed to stay forever? I don’t know. Honestly, my gut tells me maybe not.

What I really want to do is work with adoptive families. I want to work in adoption and help families navigate the process because I’ve been through it myself. I know what it feels like to wait, to wonder, and to finally get that child you’ve prayed and waited for. I want to help other families experience that, too.

The problem is that it’s a very small field, and there simply aren’t a lot of opportunities available. So here I am, in a job that has provided for my family and allowed me to build a life and take care of the people I love. Sometimes I wonder whether I’m supposed to keep doing it or whether God has something else waiting for me.

Maybe you’re sitting in a job right now that isn’t where you thought you’d end up. Maybe you know exactly what you want to do, but the opportunity isn’t there. Maybe you’re wondering why God opened one door if you’re eventually supposed to walk through another. I don’t have the answer to that, but I do know that I don’t want to spend the time I’m given worrying about whether everyone approves of me.

I want to do my job well. I want to treat people fairly. I want to apologize when I’m wrong. I want to stand up for what I believe is right. And then I want to leave the rest in God’s hands.

People will change their opinions. People will disagree. People will misunderstand you. People will disappoint you, and sometimes you’re going to disappoint them, too. But God sees the whole picture. He knows my heart, my intentions, the things I don’t say out loud, and the things I’m still trying to figure out.

Ephesians 3:20 says, “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.”

I don’t know what God has planned for the next chapter of my life. Maybe this job is part of that plan. Maybe it’s preparing me for something else. Maybe there’s an opportunity coming that I can’t see yet. For now, I’m going to do what is in front of me, trust God with what I can’t see, and stop worrying so much about what everybody else thinks.

So today I’m walking into work with my coffee, my Bible, and hopefully a little more peace than I had yesterday. I’m going to do my job, take care of my people, and let God handle the parts I can’t control. Because at the end of the day, my worth isn’t determined by my paycheck, my position, my coworkers’ opinions, or whether everyone agrees with me. My worth comes from God.

And maybe that’s the conversation we all need today: Are we spending too much time worrying about what other people think of us when we should be more concerned about what God sees in us?

Until tomorrow…

Keep your coffee warm, your Bible close, and your eyes open for the blessings God places in your path today. I’ll meet you back here tomorrow—with another cup of coffee and another conversation.

❤️ Mandy