Not So Popular

The other day I was confronted by the idea that my social status was driven by the want of popularity.

What? No way. Me? I don't care what anyone thinks. Whatsoever. Nope. Idon'tcareIdon'tcareIdon'tcare!


And then, of course, the not so pleasant thought that I do care about what other people think crossed my mind. But everyone's has to care a little, right?

I remember in middle school . . . I felt so self conscience then. But I don't remember caring what other people thought of me. Because they were my friends. Because they would love me no matter what. Not to sound cynical, but how could I be so naive? I would always laugh off the crude comments as jokes or see them as the jokesters own insecurities showing through.

Since I had gone to small private schools from pre-school until eighth grade, I was super nervous to enter a public high school with almost two thousand kids. I created scenarios in my head of how popular I was going to be and how everyone was going to know who I was and love me and I would know everyone's name. HA! I think I forgot to calculate how many two thousand students actually is. Again, my own naivety. Going into high school I also forgot about this verse:

Romans 12:2 says, "Do not conform any longer to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will able to test and approve what God's Will is -- His good, pleasing, and perfect will."

You see, my own ideas of popularity got in the way of the friendships I could have made freshman year, not to mention my own relationship with God.

So as I was contemplating my need for popularity, I came across this song by Britt Nicole:

In the (almost) three years I've been in public school, I have just begun to realize the impact my faith in God could have on my peers. I so wish I could have realized sooner that God is more important than popularity. Besides, will I know these people in ten years? Probably not. But I hope that years from now they will still be impacted by me; not because of my own popularity, but because of my Christianity.

"So when you get the chance to change, are you gonna take it? There's a really big world at your fingertips and you know you have got the chance to change it."