What Are You Afraid They'll Think?
Knowing What's Right and Having the Courage to Do It
Have you ever been about to say something and then stopped yourself because you were worried about what someone might think?
Maybe someone said something cruel about another person.
You knew it wasn't right.
You even thought about speaking up.
But then you started thinking.
What if everyone gets annoyed with me?
What if they start making fun of me instead?
What if my friends think I'm being too sensitive?
So you stayed quiet.
Or maybe you've been somewhere with friends when someone suggested doing something you knew you shouldn't do.
You already knew what you believed.
You knew the choice you wanted to make.
But suddenly doing what was right seemed a lot more complicated than it had when you were sitting in Sunday School talking about it.
Because now there were people watching.
People whose opinions you cared about.
And you didn't want to be the one who made things uncomfortable.
Here's something I've learned:
Sometimes the hardest part of doing what's right isn't knowing what to do. It's finding the courage to do it.
There's a fascinating story in Jeremiah 38 about two men who faced that very problem.
One was a king.
The other was a servant.
And the surprising thing is which one demonstrated the greatest courage.
The prophet Jeremiah had spent years warning the people of Judah that their rebellion against God would bring terrible consequences.
By Jeremiah 38, Jerusalem was under siege by Babylon, and the situation had become desperate.
But Jeremiah continued delivering the Lord's message, even though many of the leaders didn't want to hear it.
In fact, some of them became so angry that they convinced King Zedekiah to let them get rid of him.
They lowered Jeremiah into a cistern.
A deep pit normally used to store water.
Only there wasn't any water left.
Scripture says:
“In the dungeon there was no water, but mire: so Jeremiah sunk in the mire.”
—Jeremiah 38:6
Imagine that.
The prophet is sitting at the bottom of a muddy pit, unable to climb out.
His own people have put him there because they don't like what God has told him to say.
And unless someone helps him, he could die.
Then someone hears what happened.
His name is Ebed-melech.
He was a servant in the king's household.
Ebed-melech goes to the king and tells him plainly:
“These men have done evil in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet.”
—Jeremiah 38:9
That's a courageous thing to say.
Especially considering who he is talking to.
The same king who allowed Jeremiah to be put into the cistern.
The same king who had been listening to the very officials Ebed-melech was now criticizing.
But Ebed-melech speaks up.
The king authorizes the rescue, and Ebed-melech gathers men, ropes, and old pieces of cloth to pull Jeremiah out.
I love one small detail in this story.
Before they lift Jeremiah, Ebed-melech tells him to put the old cloths under his arms so the ropes won't hurt him (Jeremiah 38:11–13).
Think about that.
He isn't merely trying to be brave.
He's trying to help someone.
Even while rescuing Jeremiah, he is thinking about his comfort.
Sometimes courage looks like caring enough about someone to do something uncomfortable.
Now compare that with King Zedekiah.
Later in the same chapter, Zedekiah secretly asks Jeremiah what the Lord wants him to do.
Jeremiah tells him plainly.
If he will follow the Lord's counsel and surrender to Babylon, his life and the city can be spared from the threatened outcome. If he refuses, destruction will follow (Jeremiah 38:17–18).
Zedekiah knows what Jeremiah has told him.
But listen to his response:
“I am afraid.”
—Jeremiah 38:19
He is afraid of what certain people might do to him.
And that fear prevents him from following the counsel he has received.
Now think about the contrast.
Zedekiah was a king.
He had a throne.
Authority.
Influence.
People who answered to him.
Ebed-melech was a servant.
But when the moment came to do what was right, the servant demonstrated the courage the king struggled to find.
Zedekiah had a throne but struggled to stand. Ebed-melech was a servant, yet stood up for what was right.
There's a lesson in that for all of us.
You can be popular and still be afraid.
You can have influence and still be controlled by the opinions of others.
You can be the captain of the team, the leader of the group, or the person everyone seems to admire—and still struggle to do what you know is right.
And you can be someone who feels unnoticed, ordinary, or completely alone and still demonstrate extraordinary courage.
The Book of Mormon tells a remarkably similar story.
When Abinadi was preaching before King Noah and his priests, most of them became furious.
But one young priest believed him.
His name was Alma.
Scripture says:
“He was a young man, and he believed the words which Abinadi had spoken.”
—Mosiah 17:2
Then Alma did something courageous.
He pleaded with the king to spare Abinadi's life.
He spoke up when everyone around him seemed determined to silence the prophet.
And it cost him.
The king became angry and ordered Alma killed too (Mosiah 17:3–4).
But Alma's choice would eventually bless generations of people.
I wonder how different the Book of Mormon would be if Alma had simply decided to keep quiet.
There will be moments in your life when you're going to have to decide what matters more to you.
Your beliefs?
Or someone else's approval?
I've experienced that.
I've been in work situations where people were drinking and offering me alcohol.
I've been around conversations and activities that didn't align with what I believed.
And I've had to decide whether I would go along with everyone else or stand by my convictions.
Sometimes that meant saying something.
Sometimes it meant politely declining.
Sometimes it meant leaving.
I can tell you that the moments when I've chosen to stand for what I believed have brought me a kind of peace that going along with the crowd never could.
President Thomas S. Monson shared an experience from his service in the Navy.
One Sunday during boot camp, the commanding officer began dismissing sailors to attend religious services.
First the Catholics.
Then the Jewish servicemen.
Then the Protestants.
As group after group marched away, President Monson remained standing.
He wasn't a member of any of the groups that had been named.
He was a Latter-day Saint.
And for a moment, he thought he was completely alone.
But he decided to stand where he was.
Then the officer asked the remaining sailors what they called themselves.
President Monson discovered that several others were standing nearby who shared his faith.
They answered together.
That experience gave him a memory he would carry throughout his life.
And he later acknowledged that there were other times when no one was standing behind him.
He truly did have to stand alone.
His message was simple:
“Dare to stand alone.”
Sometimes you won't know whether anyone is standing with you until you make the decision to stand.
And sometimes you really will be the only one.
But remember what happened to Ebed-melech.
After he rescued Jeremiah, the Lord sent him a message through the prophet.
God promised to deliver him and gave this reason:
“Because thou hast put thy trust in me.”
—Jeremiah 39:18
That's important.
The scripture doesn't say Ebed-melech was naturally fearless.
It says he trusted God.
Those aren't necessarily the same thing.
You can be afraid and still do something courageous.
You can feel nervous and still tell the truth.
You can feel uncomfortable and still defend someone.
You can worry about rejection and still choose to live your beliefs.
And you don't need to be loud or confrontational to do it.
Sometimes courage is simply saying, “That's not okay.”
Sometimes it's refusing to participate.
Sometimes it's sitting next to the person everyone else is ignoring.
Sometimes it's admitting you were wrong.
Sometimes it's asking for help when a situation is unsafe.
And sometimes it's quietly deciding that your relationship with God means more than the approval of the people around you.
Proverbs teaches:
“The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe.”
—Proverbs 29:25
So the next time you know what you should do but feel afraid to do it, remember Ebed-melech.
Remember Alma.
Remember that king sitting on his throne, afraid of what people might think.
And ask yourself:
Who am I allowing to make this decision for me?
Because the courage to follow Jesus Christ often begins right there.
Scripture
“In the dungeon there was no water, but mire: so Jeremiah sunk in the mire.”
—Jeremiah 38:6
“These men have done evil in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet.”
—Jeremiah 38:9
“I am afraid.”
—Jeremiah 38:19
“Because thou hast put thy trust in me.”
—Jeremiah 39:18
“He was a young man, and he believed the words which Abinadi had spoken.”
—Mosiah 17:2
“The fear of man bringeth a snare.”
—Proverbs 29:25
Reflection
Why do you think Zedekiah struggled to follow Jeremiah's counsel even after seeking it?
What impresses you about Ebed-melech's willingness to rescue Jeremiah?
Why can it sometimes be easier to know what's right than to do it?
Whose opinion do you sometimes worry about more than you should?
When have you made a difficult choice because of something you believed?
How can you stand up for someone without becoming unkind or argumentative yourself?
What difference does it make to know that God recognized Ebed-melech's trust in Him?
Today's Challenge
Think about one situation where you've been avoiding something you know is right.
Maybe there's someone you should stand up for.
A conversation you need to have.
A boundary you need to establish.
An apology you need to make.
A choice you've been postponing because you don't want to disappoint someone.
Write down two things:
1. What do I know is right?
2. What am I afraid might happen if I do it?
Then pray about the situation.
Ask Heavenly Father to help you see a wise, loving, and courageous way forward.
You don't need to create a confrontation or put yourself in danger.
But choose one appropriate action that moves you toward what you know is right.
Remember the Lord's words about Ebed-melech:
“Because thou hast put thy trust in me.”
Let your next choice demonstrate that same trust.
Christ-Centered Thought
There is a moment in the Savior's life that I find especially meaningful when thinking about courage.
On the night before His Crucifixion, Jesus Christ went into the Garden of Gethsemane.
He knew that extraordinary suffering lay ahead.
Luke tells us that He prayed:
“Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.”
—Luke 22:42
Think about those words.
The Savior's courage was perfectly connected to His willingness to do the Father's will.
He moved forward because of His love for His Father and His love for us.
And because He did, we have hope.
We have forgiveness.
We have resurrection.
We have the promise that through His power, we can become more than we could ever become alone.
You may never be placed in a situation like Jeremiah, Ebed-melech, or Alma.
But you will have moments when doing what's right requires courage.
And when those moments come, you can turn to the Savior who understands what it means to choose the Father's will even when the path is difficult.
Ask for His help.
Trust Him enough to act.
And remember:
Your courage doesn't have to be bigger than your fear.
You just need to be willing to let your faith in Jesus Christ help guide your choice.
For more weekly devotionals and complete Come Follow Me resources designed specifically for teens, visit:
