Hey, carpool crew. I'm Pastor Justin, and I want to talk about a fear that shows up a lot, especially when you're going someplace new, like a new school, a new church, a new camp, or moving into a new town. It's this question. What if people don't like me? Maybe you think, what if my clothes are different? Or what if everyone already knows each other and I'm the odd one out? All month long we've been talking about what Jesus would say about the things that scare us, and if we're honest, this is definitely one thing that can scare us. Our verse today is from Psalm 139, verse 14. "I will praise you because I have been remarkably and wondrously made. Your works are wondrous, and I know this very well." This fear isn't really about not being liked. It's about the thought, if people really knew me, would they accept me? It makes you want to change the way you dress, or pretend to like stuff you don't, maybe be quieter or be louder, just to fit in. But here's the thing. When you change who you are just to be liked, you're not letting people like the real you. You're letting them like someone you're pretending to be. And the real you is the one Jesus loves. It's the one Jesus made. Psalm 139 reminds us that God made you on purpose, your personality, your voice, your smile, your style, your brain, your laugh, your skills, your talents. You are remarkably and wonderfully made. God doesn't want you to blend in. He wants you to shine as who he created you to be. If Jesus were riding with you on the way to something new and you said, what if people don't like me? I think he'd probably say, you don't have to change who you are to be liked. I already love you completely. And the right people, they're going to like the real you. You're not here to impress them. You're here to be yourself and shine for me. Let me tell you a story about a girl named Ava. She's a listener from Wisconsin, and she and her mom shared this story with me on Instagram. She went to a new summer camp where everyone seemed to already know each other. They wore matching hoodies. They had inside jokes. Ava felt left out, so she tried to act like someone else. She pretended to like games she didn't really like. She laughed at jokes she didn't really think were funny. But by the second day, she was exhausted. Finally, Ava told one girl in her cabin, I'm kind of nervous. I don't really know anyone here yet. And the girl said, same. Do you want to hang out together? And from that moment, Ava started being herself, and guess what? That's when the right friendship started. If you're walking into a place where you're scared people won't like you, remind yourself who made you. Say, God, you made me on purpose. I'm wonderfully made. Don't change who you are just to fit in. The people worth being friends with will like the real you. Be brave enough to be honest. It's okay to say, hey, I'm new here, and introduce yourself to people. It's okay to want to be liked, but don't lose yourself just to get people's approval. You are already deeply loved by the God who made you. Remember, no matter where you are or how you're listening, God loves you. And hey, it's Friday. If you haven't subscribed yet, I encourage you to. This weekend we're going to be talking about, what if I'm scared I lose a friend, and what if I'm scared of heights? These are two things that Jesus definitely has some thoughts on. I encourage you to subscribe on Apple Podcasts so you don't miss a single episode. Before we go, let's answer this question together. Have you ever felt pressure to act different just to fit in, and how did that feel for you? I'll see you tomorrow or Monday on Carpooling with Jesus.
