How others view us can sometimes impact how far we go in life and the degree of success we experience. As a result, we often put tremendous pressure on ourselves to ensure that we have the approval of the right people. Here’s the truth: what others think of us pales in comparison to God’s opinion of us. David’s story in the Old Testament is a powerful illustration of how God views us and, to this day, David’s life is still ministering to us.

The prophet, Jesse, looked favorably on Eliab, David’s older brother, and wanted to select him as the next king, but God favored David for this calling instead. Eliab saw David as the pesky little brother, but God saw David as the next great king and part of the lineage of Christ. David did not allow his brothers’ criticism and negativity to limit him or hold him back from doing what he needed to do; David saw the opportunity to carry out God’s cause. We must become like David and not concern ourselves with how others see us. We should simply focus on how God sees us—that’s the only viewpoint that matters.

David was not God’s first choice for king—Saul was. However, Saul did not yield his heart to God’s plan and decided to go with a plan of his own instead. So, God chose David because of Saul’s disobedience and David’s decision to make himself available to the Lord. David had his flaws and imperfections, yet he had a heart after God. Although David was not perfect, God saw that David yielded his heart; as a result, God used David and made him a king.

We must not allow others’ criticism and negative thoughts to limit us from carrying out God’s mission. Having faith in what God thinks instead of what others believe will enable us to fulfill His plan for us and find success. God is looking for the person whose heart is right and yielded toward His goals. David cared for his flock and trusted in his heart that God would give him victory. His faith and wisdom grew through experience and revelation. God is not looking for a perfect heart, but one that is yielded to Him and is motivated to please Him. We can begin building our faith, just as David did, with the more minor things and work our way up. We must make God’s plans a priority over our plans. When external factors and superficial appearances sway how the world sees us, God looks inside to see our hearts.

David walked in faith because he knew God; therefore, God could use him to fulfill His plan. David kept the covenant he had with God on his mind; we must be the same way. We need to focus on our covenant with God and His opinion of us. David’s heart was with God, and his attitude lined up with the things of God. When others operated in fear, he acted in faith. We must know who we are and see how the power of the Word gives us the ability to accomplish much. Once we get a revelation of the Word, our opinion changes and begins lining up with what God thinks. We are the apple of God’s eye (Zechariah 2:8) and His beloved.