#mandatory for me to untie their shoelaces

[saydada]

they’re gonna trip at some point

+closeups!

[xkaidaxxxx]

Y/n is a liar?

Bakugou x Reader

Mentions: Loneliness, Jealousy, betrayal, cute romance with boom boy. Class 1-A issues, Small section of Hawks, sorry for any errors

Dear Diary,

Class 1-A always ends up in trouble with villains or daily dumb things. It’s been 3 weeks since Uraraka lied to everyone about me during an attack in the city. Ever since that day everyone in class lost trust in me and disliked me. All because of a lie. It's crazy how she lied perfectly even Mr. Aizawa believed her. Even Bakugo stopped training with me. I had managed to be in a solid friendship. As equals and that went falling down.

“I’m sorry I just won't sit around and do nothing. Civilians are panicking and in a rush. “Mama!” a child yelled while crying. Many children were lost and crying. You gathered up the kids that were lost. “Everything is going to be okay little ones. I’ll take care of you until we find your parents okay.” you said taking them to a safe place. “ She’s right. I’m helping her take care of the kids.” Uraraka said, running over to you. She smirked and took the perfect opportunity to lie.

A child fell back onto the street on his own since his shoelace was untied. “How can you do that to an innocent child!?” she yelled, starting her lie. “ What are you talking about? If this is about helping kids and going against the rules, I don’t care. I’m not going to leave scared and innocent children in the streets alone. They can get hurt.” You replied helping the kid who fell down. “ You pushed that kid onto the street y/n.” she replied. “No I didn't, he tripped. His shoelaces are untied.” you replied. The child was still crying missing his mom and from the fall. “ I literally just saw you push him.” she said. 

I’m so upset. Diary thanks for putting up with my long sentences, with all the things that I need to get out of my system, before I go crazy. The worst part of it all is that they really think I am capable of throwing a kid onto the street, to hurt a child. I thought they were my friends. Especially her. She has been so kind and friendly to me since day one. Not anymore. I miss hanging out with the class. I try to explain things wanting to start talking to them to be friends but they just walk away. I’m the one putting in the effort and they shut me out. 

You heard a knock on your dorm room door. “Hey we made dinner if you want some.” you heard Izuku. “ Thanks.” you checked the time. 11pm. You walked downstairs hoping they’d all be there to try and work things out. Everyone was in their dorms. They left you some food out of feeling bad for you. Even Izuku the sweetheart. You started crying, losing your appetite. “ You’re awake? It's late.” Bakugou said. You started washing your hands to be faced away from him. “I um c-couldn’t sleep and I have a stomach ache and you?” you lied. He knew you were lying but he didn’t want to make things awkward. “ Everyone knows I am asleep by 9, I woke up and felt thirsty.” he replied, serving himself water. You dried your hands. “ Well um goodnight.” you replied going back to your dorm crying yourself to sleep.

Mandatory Training in pairs came up and no one wanted you as their partner. At first everyone wanted you since you have more than one quirk, they’d known that they would learn alot from you now they would rather be partners with Mineta. “ Sorry I’m late sir.” Deku said, panting. He came in a rush. “ Your partner is y/n.” Aizawa said. Uraraka was so jealous. She had such a happy face but her eyes didn’t match it. “ Everyone begin. Today you can be more rough than usual. Bakugou watch yourself.” Aizawa said and sat down to watch. Everyone instantly started. “So we’re partners..” Deku said. You didn’t want small talk otherwise you’d end up crying so instead you instantly attacked him. No mercy after all they arent your friends. They think you’re a monster. A villain at this point. “ See what I tell you. She’s so mean and aggressive. Her true colors.” Uraraka whispered to Mina. You could hear them; it was one of your many quirks. “H-Hey give me a break to catch my breath.” Deku said while trying to keep up. It hurt the most when Deku dumped you, the friend that always defended him. You did your final blow and kicked him up and then across the field against the wall.

“Hey, you took it too far!” Kirishima yelled. Ida went to help Deku. “What is wrong with you!? First a child then a classmate.” Ida said. “ You need help. More than Bakugou at this point” Denki said. The rest of the class nodded. “ This is mandatory training. Mr.Aizawa said it's alright to get a bit rougher than usual.” you defended yourself. Deku was nowhere near your level, not even Bakugou’s. “This is why no one wants to be your friend. You’ll end up expelled if you keep it up y/n.” Uraraka said. “You lied about me pushing a child to the street. You all are the crazy ones to even think I’d do such a thing. Don’t believe me but know that I will beat every single one of you. Everyone knows damn well all I have to do is watch you to make sure you’ll end up losing to me. I don’t need a training partner to win. Have fun believing her lie and Uraraka. I hope you feel guilty for what you have done.” you said leaving. By then class 1-B showed up to see the wonderful but sad sight scene. Even that class disliked you. You wouldn’t be surprised if the entire school knows already. Some people don’t know how to keep their mouths shut. Once the day ended you left the school grounds. Bakugou sat in his room thinking about many things but mostly about you. As you guys became friends he couldn’t help but fall for you. He loved how sweet you are, the way you’re considerate of others and how you get through hard days on your own. He was struggling on what to do and say. 

“Hey Keigo.” you said. He was shocked when you showed up at his apartment. “ You’re ready to talk?” He asked to hand you a tissue box. You told him everything leaving no detail behind. You used the tissues all up. You met the pro hero Hawks when you were a kid. He's best friends with your brother, before he passed away he promised to watch over you.. “ Hey things suck for you right now but you’re a strong and passionate young lady. You’re doing so well on handling things. I can help you. You tell me where it happened and we can check for any security cameras. You show them and problems are solved although you will have to build relationships again. Express how they made you feel and how you want to continue. Remember to set boundaries.” He said giving you a big hug. You spend the rest of the day with him like detectives gathering information on the truth. 

“ I’m telling you guys, she needs more help than Bakugou.” Momo said. “Bakugou you’re crazy but not crazy to harm a kid.” Denki commented. “Give her a break. You extras are making her feel awful. I don’t think she’d do that. She’s y/n.” he defends you. Everyone was shocked. “There’s no way you’re defending her right now.” Uraraka said with a questioned expression. “ I’ve been thinking about why she says you are lying and everything fell into place. She has defended Deku from me since day one and she started hanging out with him more. Everyone knows you have a crush on him. You got jealous the day of the festival. I overheard that day that you all visited him and he asked her to stay behind. That was your last straw wasn’t it.” He said with anger and truth. “ Bakugou, you're losing your mind. Get it together. You are explosive and that's what you're doing right now. Calm down.” She replied to him. She was trying to switch the topic.

That's when you walked in and the room got silent again like it always does when you come back to the door when everyone is around.You didn’t get to see what was happening inside but you did hear from outside. You were blushing like crazy when Bakugou defended you since he’s your crush. “ I see you guys are choosing to ignore me but I need you to see something” You said, turning on the tv and inserting the CD that showed proof that you were right. You played it and everyone was watching as if it was the movie of the year. Uraraka was shocked that you went that far to prove your innocence. Once it was over everyone turned to look at her. “ See I’m not a monster. Not a liar. Oh and by the way…this is me being mean and petty but that day Deku said he liked me and rejected him because I like someone else… So yeah. Feel sad and guilty…I apologize for being mean but it feels good.” You said. “Yeah..It sucks but hey she was being honest.” Deku said, crossing his arms. “Omg wait what!? Who do you like? Tell us everything. Once the guys are gone.” Mina said excitedly. She loves romance. “I have a chance with her. Please let it be me” Denki whispered hoping god can make it happen. “Why would you lie?”Jiro asked. “ Bakugou was right…that day was my last straw because from the look on Deku's face I knew what he had to say was important..and he had a smile.”she said looking down and rubbing her arm. “I am so sorry for causing harm to you Y/n and lying about such a horrible thing.” she apologized, tearing up. “ I forgive you. I don’t wish to be friends with you again but I’d like to be classmates with you.” you replied. You set a boundary just like hawks told you so. Everyone apologized to you and you told them how you felt m. At the end of the day it was nice to be back to normal. “Ssoo are you all going to ignore the part where she said she likes someone from our class. Let's see who is the lucky guy.” Mina said, squealing with the rest of the girls. “If I don’t say it now I’ll regret it later..so I’ve got this. If I throw up from the nerves, I’m sorry. God, I already feel nauseous.” You spoke. Your hands were sweaty and shaky. “ You’ve got it,” Uraraka said. “You see um…well I- its-okay okay it's Kats,” you said blushing like crazy. “Cats?” the class questioned. Bakugou knew because you call him that when you guys hang out or train alone. “Jesus Christ. Okay, let me get it through correctly this time…It's Bakugou!” you said. “WHAT!!!???” Everyone was shocked. “God when is it my turn!” Denki said. “ Do you like me? Would you like to go on a date with me?” you asked. The nervousness and nausea went away. “ I should be asking you that idiot…yeah let's do it,” he replied. The girls jumped up and down squealing and the guys slouched on the couches looking and being so defeated. “Damn Bakugou is the real deal. Great at everything. It’s so manly of him to have a girlfriend now.” Kirishima said. The guys nodded. Bakugou had a smirk with you by his side. “ I haven’t asked him yet.” You said aloud. “Again I should be asking you,” he said, smacking your head softly. You tiptoed and gave him a peck on the cheek. He was shocked, happy and he was blushing. “ Well I am tired and I need to get ready for bed. Good night!” you said happily going to your room. You talk to Bakugou about your date with him later.

Before bed you wrote in your Diary

Dear Diary,

I finally cleaned my name. Keigo helped me with that. The clip from the security cameras was the proof I needed. The class saw it and immediately felt bad. They apologized. Uraraka revealed why she did it and she felt awful about it. I set a boundary just as Keigo told me so and I'll do that with the rest of the class when we have time to relax again. Tomorrow. Hey, I also finally said I like Bakugou can you believe he feels the same way. He defended me although he was questioning me about the situation. At the end of the day, he connected the pieces of the puzzle. I have a date with him! We're going to talk about it later. I swear I'll put in effort to look prettier on the date.

[lubdubsworld]

Bird Bones

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

“Do you want to order take out? Or do you want me to make you some fried rice or something else?” Hoseok said quietly, helping me take off my jacket and shooing me into the cozy apartment , right over the dance studio he owned. Hoseok’s home was a two bedroom bed-sit of sorts, comfortably big and furnished rather eclectically, with bright and muted colors and fabrics of different textures. It looked homely and soft in some places, all hard edges and elegant perfection in others. But the whole thing came together pretty well, much like their owner.

A study of contrasts.

Both Hoseok and his home.

“ Anything you like. Sesame oil makes me throw up.” i said softly, toeing off my sneakers after bending down to untie them. Soon , I wouldn’t even be able to do this, I thought bleakly. There would be a baby belly on my way. I swallowed drily, feeling lightheaded as I straightened up. And something told me that not being able to bend over and tie my shoelaces would be the least of my worries.

“I’ll make you some chicken soup then. Go wash the rice and put it in the cooker.” He said casually, taking off his tie and unbuttoning his shirt swiftly. I hesitated before dropping my bag on the couch and moved to the kitchen, separated from the rest of the dining space by a small granite counter. i saw some unpaid bills and a few brochures for exotic tours in the mail, spread out on the black surface.

“When was the last time you took a vacation…” I said casually, flipping through a pamphlet on Angkor Wat. Hoseok grunted and i peered over the edge of the wall to see him pulling his belt out of his pants, taking off the neatly creased slacks as well. I took a deep breath and went back to opening the cupboard, grabbing the small pouch of rice and moving to get the measuring cups.

He came back out a few minutes later, shirtless except for a white wife beater and wearing his loose sweatpants, moving to the freezer to get the chicken before starting with his meal prep. He was good at this, easily grabbing sugar salt and olive oil, getting some lemon zest, crushing garlic and thyme and seasoning the meat with practiced ease.

We made the meal in relative silence, the kind that comes after years of being comfortable with each other. He had music playing and it was only when we had settled down for dinner that he brought the subject up. “So…when did this thing with jung kook happen…”

I hesitated.

“About seven weeks ago.” I said with a shrug. “ it was a one time thing…” “Were you drunk? “ I flinched. “A little bit. But not enough for it to be non consensual or anything. We both..well we both wanted it.”

Hoseok frowned. “You do realize that this going to change everything.”

I swallowed. “I’ve been thinking about it…. “ I said awkwardly. “ Maybe I could just get a part time job , enough to hire a nanny or …”

“You can’t be a mother and a student, Da Som. It will literally kill you.”

I stayed quiet.

“Have you considered adoption?” I shrugged. “I don’t know… I mean. Yeah, if someone can give this baby a better life then.. I’m not… I mean… I won’t be opposed to it .” I said softly not sure what I was agreeing too. It was early, too early for me to form an attachment but who knew what the days ahead would bring? What if I fell in love with this child? Would I still be able to give him or her up.

“It’s the best option. I don’t want to be cruel but there can be nothing worse for that baby than for you trying to raise it in that shitty dorm of yours, while you struggle to get a degree and a job.”

“I was planning on moving back to Seoul…” I said grudgingly.

“you still have an year of university left.” Hoseok said sharply.

“Can we not talk about this..?”

“Da Som….”

“I’m serious. I’m tired and this…this soup isn’t really doing much for my nausea, to be honest… I want to go sleep now.” I began to stand up but Hoseok brought his palm down on the table with enough force to make me jump a bit.

“Finish the damn food, you’re not starving when you’re pregnant.” His voice was as sharp as a whip cracking through the air.

I grudgingly sat back down, feeling bone weary and tired. Everything was just too much now, a sort of heaviness in my stomach and a hazy cloud of self pity threatening to take over. I felt like I was trapped, airless and struggling to breathe.

“Jung Kook has plans too.” He said suddenly and I looked up confused.

“What?”

“They’re not mine to say but I want you to know that he’s got his own plans, for how he wants his life to be and a child is not in those plans, no matter how much he tries to act like he wants to take care of you.” I sighed. Hoseok was honestly preaching to the choir at this point. No one knew, better than me , that jung kook and I did not belong in the same sentence, let alone the same path in life.

“He doesn’t have to do anything.. I told him he can just leave me be and…”

“He refused right? Instead he offered to take care of you… Don’t deny it, I witnessed it myself . Did you think why?”

I frowned , wondering what he was trying to tell me. Jung kook had acted like a decent human being, that’s all. Nothing out of the way amazing or extra-ordinary.

“I don’t know what you’re trying to imply here…”

Hoseok sighed.

“I just want you to know that people like him have a different way of …thinking things through, you could tell. i don’t want you to get swayed by his gestures or his words. Not when there is literally zero chance of him actually living up to his words.”

I knew Hoseok was right.

He knew better than anyone else how badly these people treated me and jung kook had, till a few weeks ago, been one of them. He was right. He was looking out for me.

But his words still hit a nerve. “You sound like you almost want him to treat me like shit.” i said angrily. Hoseok looked taken aback before sighing deeply.

“ You know that’s not what I meant, Dasom. I just want you to be careful. I don’t want to see you getting hurt because of misjudging the guy…”

I fought the urge to cry, tamping down on the urge with barely there restraint. It felt like I was always on the verge of tears, these days, the tears just welling up at the slightest trigger , but I also knew that it was both unfair and wrong to take it out on Hoseok. Hoseok, who had been and still was the only dependable person in my life.

“I know.. I just… I’m trying to work this out, oppa.”

He nodded.

“We’ll go see Seokjin hyung tomorrow, alright? He runs the Health center off campus and I can take some time off from the studio in the evening. Taehyung and Jimin will be able to cover for me.”

I nodded, only half registering the words. I didn’t particularly dislike Jimin and Tae. They were younger than Hoseok and taught some of the younger kids at the studio. However, they were also pretty close with Jung Kook, both their parents were part of the town council and their mothers were always working closely with Mrs Jeon in most of her charities. They didn’t really acknowledge me, other than the odd smile or nod when I ran into them at the studio.

“Okay.”

“And about the adoption thing. I don’t want you to think I’m pressuring you into this in any way. If you.. if you decide to keep the baby, I’ll be supportive , as much as I can. But it won’t be easy… You know it won’t.” There was a wealth of exhaustion in his tone and I noticed, rather clearly the bags under his eyes and the slightly loose fit of his clothes. I felt worry well up inside me, combined with genuine guilt. Hoseok did not deserve to be saddled with someone like me.

I nodded, finally taking the last bite of my chicken and grabbing a glass of water.

“I won’t make things difficult for anyone , just because I … just because I want to be selfish and…”

“it’s not selfish to want to raise your own child , Da Som…”

I bit my lips before laughing a little, the tears forming before I could stop them.

“Maybe not for others. But for someone like… well like me? It’s the most selfish thing in the world, really.”

“Da Som…”

“I’m going to bed now. I’ll see you tomorrow, oppa.”

~~~~~~~~~

“Well, you’re eight weeks along at the moment which means that you’re probably going to have another month or so of nausea. I can prescribe some meds for it but don’t take them too often. Also, are you taking all your supplements?”

I nodded, tapping the table with the pen as I frowned at the form in front of me. There was a whole section allotted to the ‘father’ and I literally did not know a thing about Jung kook.

“ Uh… is this stuff , necessary?” I said awkwardly , pointing out the columns asking for some stuff. Seokjin glanced at the paper and gave me an apologetic smile.

“I’m sorry honey. They’re mandatory . Especially the one about his blood group and his allergies.”

I swallowed.

“okay.. Can I get back to you with these? Later?”

“of course. Take your time , Somie-ya. Just drop it off with Hoseok and I’ll get it from him , if you’re uncomfortable bringing it over to me yourself. I’ve written a note for you to carry in for your next appointment. You can probably meet me in my private clinic hereafter. I’ll be able to get your scans done there as well.”

I nodded, carefully folding the form and placing it in my bag . Hoseok helped me back into my jacket and gave me a kiss on my forehead.

“I love you baby girl. I’ll be busy tonight and tomorrow as well. There’s a showcase this weekend. I’ll see you on Friday before I leave to Seoul, alright?” He said fondly and I smiled.

“Sure, oppa.” I gave him a half hug before zipping myself up and pulling my bag up further over my shoulders. The moment I stepped over the threshold, I felt the blood drain out of my face.

A group of girls stood near the entrance, looking smug and downright scary.

I recognized two of the girls from my Creative Writing class, both of them huddled close to the door, looking rather to obviously, like they’d been listening to what was going on inside. But it was the girl in the middle who made my stomach churn.

Sana. Jung kook’s fiancée.

“SO guess all that sleeping around finally came around to bite you in the ass, huh?” one of them stage whispered and I went still.

I stared at them, half outraged and half in disbelief.

To my surprise they didn’t look even remotely ashamed. Instead the taller girl stepped forward , grinning. Sana didn’t stop her, still staring expressionlessly at me.

“What? Are you going to deny it?” The girl snapped and I shut my eyes.

“Get out of my way.” I said calmly.

Sana smiled then and I stared at her.

“We’ve never met before. I’m Sana. Jung Kook’s fiancée.” She grinned.

“So?”

“You don’t know who he is , do you? The father? Isn’t that why you couldn’t fill in the details?” she said casually.

I laughed out loud.

“I can’t believe you think it’s okay to talk to me like that? Is that what they teach you in your finishing schools?”

“Well, they certainly don’t teach us to spread our legs for every guy with a dick. Isn’t that something your mother taught you? Heard she was just like that…”

And it was amazing, that even though I’d heard variations of that sentiment, all through my life, it still stung.

“Wow. You really are a bitch.” I said softly moving around to get the hell away from her when her arm shot out, gripping my arm with surprising strength. I almost winced from the pain.

“Stay away from Jung kook. I don’t know what your game is but if I see you sniffing around him, I’ll make sure you get kicked out of college. Then you’ll have no choice but to be a real whore…” she whispered.

I yanked my hand back and grinned.

“Sweetheart, I really don’t give a damn about your boytoy. If you’re so insecure about keeping him, maybe you should get him a nice leash…”

“A slut like you doesn’t deserve to even breathe around someone like him. He’s a Jeon! He deserves only the best. He shouldn’t be anywhere near something like you!” She shouted.

“Go tell him that. He’s the one who can’t seem to stay the fuck away from me” I hissed angrily.

Her nostrils flared and I tossed one last glare before stalking away angrily.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

When I moved to the bus stop, I caught a glimpse of Jung kook, leaning against the stop sign, grinning at his phone and looking, for want of any other word, downright beautiful in the fading light.

I felt fury rise up inside me like an ugly snake rearing its head.

“Hey, Da Som.. how was your day ? I was looking for you and-“ Jung kook stopped himself when he saw the look on my face.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing here?” I snarled, curling my fingers into fists and shoving him hard, making him stumble. He swore and righted himself easily, moving closer and grabbing my wrists gently, stopping me from hitting him again.

“What… Da som.. are you okay?” He looked alarmed, pulling me closer and wrapping one arm around my back.

“Let go of me!!” I screeched.

“fuck… baby, stop screaming people are staring..” He panicked, wide eyed and confused but it only made me angrier. Yes, people were staring. People would always stare if I stayed anywhere near this man. He was the reason people stared at me. The reason complete strangers thought it was okay to hurl abuse at me. To call me a slut and a whore and a fucking prostitute!!

“Who gave you the fucking right to call me that!!! I am not your baby.. I’m not your anything… Stop.. I said let me go…” I yelped as he all but carried me away, arms wrapped tight around my waist as he hauled me to his car.

I grunted as he pushed me in, reaching over me and putting the belt on me. I felt my stomach lurch in helpless arousal, his cologne doing that thing where it sort of went past my longs and imbibed itself in my blood, made everything else haze except for the scent of him. The heat of his body, evident even through the layers of clothes and the few inches between us made me want to wrap myself in his arms.

All bad ideas, really.

When he was sitting in the driver seat, he took a deep breath and turned to me.

“Now… mind telling me what’s the problem.”

I took a deep breath.

“I met your fiancée. Lovely girl you have there by the way. I wish you both the very best.” I sneered.

Jung kook flinched and looked genuinely uncomfortable.

“shit.. did she… say something. Look she’s actually a nice girl, okay? She’s a bit possessive with me …so whatever she said, it’s probably not personal… so don’t take it to heart.”

“She told me that I’m a whore because my mother was one as well. It’s hard not to take that personally.” I said waspishly.

Jung kook had the good grace to look ashamed.

“shit.. I’m sorry. I just… I’m sorry you had a bad day.. let me make it up to you, okay? Let me take you out to dinner…” He begged and I stared at him disbelief.

“what do you think you’re doing?” I said in genuine confusion.

He blinked.

“what?”

“this..thing. where you keep acting like you actually care about me.”

He groaned.

“I do care.. why is that so hard for you to believe. That bay in there is mine as much as it’s yours and…”

“yours? Are you kidding me…? I do not see you puking twenty times a day and staying up all night because your body aches… I don’t see you feeling like death every time you have to swallow down food, or worrying about getting a part time job because you can’t even afford to buy maternity clothes when you get as big as a truck…. So enlighten me, how this baby is yours…” I shouted angrily.

Damn it, Somie don’t fucking cry…

“I would if I could.” He said softly and I froze.

“jung kook…”

“I want to be there for you, Da Som. I’m not joking… I swear I’m not. I just.. I know I can’t take away your nausea or your body aches and I certainly can’t have the baby for you…but everything else… I’m here. As a friend. ”

He moved closer, fingers reaching out to rest awkwardly on my knee.

“You shouldn’t be.” I whispered. “ there is no parallel universe in existence where you and I could be friends without it ending in disaster.”

Jung Kook reached out and cupped my face in his hands.

“Hey… that is not true. I can be your friend. I want to be your friend. And I don’t care what anyone says, I don’t care what anyone thinks…. I’ll be there for you. Because that is what friends do…”

How naïve was this boy?

I sighed in defeat.

“I don’t know what you’re thinking. But fine. You can start out by filling this form for me.”

[nolimitsongrace]

September 5: ‘Spiritual Curb Appeal’

‘Spiritual Curb Appeal’September 5, 2019

Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without.… — 1 Timothy 3:7

Sometimes I hear people remark, “What people think of me is not important. It’s only important what God thinks of me, and that’s all that I should be concerned about.”

Today I want to explore this statement, especially for those who hunger to be used by God in a greater way. As you will see, what others think of you is very important if you want to be effective in reaching and helping other people. Your “spiritual curb appeal” determines whether or not people will listen to you or let you lead them, or if they will walk away in disgust. Let me give you an example from my own life.

Years ago I was prepared to invest a large sum of money on a particular project, so I spent weeks researching to understand the best place to make this investment of my time and money. I read advertisements and browsed the Internet to see what I could learn about different places where I could do this business. Finally I found what sounded like the ideal place to take our business. However, this was such a serious investment that I sensed the need to first go there to personally check it out before I made such a large transaction. I told my wife, “From everything I’ve read, it seems to me that this is a top-notch professional place to do business.”

*[If you started reading this from your email, begin reading here.]

But when I actually came to the place to see if this local business met my expectations, I was shocked. There I was, ready to make a large transaction that was very serious to me. But when I saw how the employees were dressed, I wasn’t so sure I wanted to do business there. Their clothes were sloppy; their hair was disheveled; the shoelaces on their tennis shoes were untied, and it looked to me like the official company uniform included shoddy-looking, baggy sweaters. I was dressed far more nicely than any of them!

I sat down to speak to a representative, and it was evident that he really knew what he was talking about. But to be truthful, the entire time the man was talking to me, I kept thinking, Why am I talking to a man who didn’t comb his hair before he came to work and whose shoes are filthy? I don’t feel good about trusting a man who doesn’t even care what he looks like to his clients! As smart as he sounded and as great as that group claimed to be, they lost my business because I just couldn’t bear the idea of investing my money with a group of people who looked so unprofessional. Even if they were geniuses, their “curb appeal” was so unprofessional that I decided not to do business with them.

Whether we like it or not, most people make their choices based on information received by their five senses. What people see, hear, smell, taste, or feel affects everything. What they perceive with their senses determines what they receive or reject; what they eat or refuse to eat; what they listen to or shut their ears to; what they watch or what they turn off; what they buy or what they walk away from; what they enjoy or what they loathe. People are affected by what they see, hear, smell, taste, and feel. If it doesn’t look good, sound good, smell good, taste good, or feel good, it isn’t going to sell very well. This is usually true regardless of how good a product is. It isn’t going to sell very well if it doesn’t appeal to the senses because people are affected by these things.

This is why it is so imperative that you understand what people perceive about you is very important. If you do not have the right “curb appeal,” people will not listen to you or follow you. If they are turned off by you, your behavior, or your personal presentation, they will be less inclined to let you be their leader. It is just a fact that people are affected by how you dress, how you talk, how you treat others, how you work at the job, and yes, even by your personal appearance. Think of what an impact a first impression has on you when you meet a person!

This issue of what people think is so important that when the apostle Paul told Timothy how to choose leaders, he told the younger minister that it was imperative to choose leaders who “…have a good report of them that are without…” (1 Timothy 3:7).

The words “good report” is derived from two Greek words, kalos and marturia. The word kalos means good, beautiful, noble, enjoyable, or pleasing. The word “report” in Greek is derived from the Greek word marturia. This word has an array of meanings, depending on how it is used, but in this verse, it means a testimony or a witness. When used with the word kalos, the entire phrase means a good witness or a good testimony.

However, because the word kalos means good, beautiful, noble, enjoyable, or pleasing, it conveys the idea of a person whom others enjoy and who has a testimony of being pleasant or pleasing. In other words, this person has a good reputation in the sight of others. There is nothing offensive or displeasing in his behavior, temperament, or presentation that would discredit him in other people’s sight. According to Paul, it is mandatory that potential leaders have this kind of testimony. What others think about them is very important!

But look what Paul said next. He wrote that if a person desires to be a leader, it is especially required that he or she has a good reputation with “them that are without.”

The word “without” is the Greek word exouthen, and it refers to people who are outside, such as those who are outside of Christ. It refers to people who are non-Christian. Paul says a man or woman shouldn’t even be permitted to be a leader unless non-Christians think highly of them.

It doesn’t matter how much Gospel you preach to non-Christians, how many tracts and books you leave on their desks, or how much literature you send them in the mail — unbelievers are affected by what they see, hear, smell, taste, and touch. This means your life is your primary pulpit. If you are a leader or aspire to a leadership position, you must understand this and recognize that people are actively observing the message you present with your life. That is why it’s so important that your “curb appeal” be Christ-honoring and spiritually appealing to people who are watching you.

Think for a moment about leaders of influence who have many people following them. People generally don’t follow those of whom they have a low opinion; rather, they follow people whom they respect and of whom they hold a high opinion. This shows the power of influence and the importance of people’s perceptions. A person’s reputation and his personal behavior are so powerful that these factors determine whether or not a crowd will follow him. In fact, if a person’s “curb appeal” isn’t right, people will seldom listen to or follow him or her, regardless of how gifted that person might be.

Sometimes I hear people remark, “What people think of me is not important. It’s only important what God thinks of me. That’s all I should be concerned about.” When I hear that, I know these are the remarks of individuals who have had no experience in leading people. If anyone intends to help people and affect masses in a positive way for the Kingdom of God, that person will have to learn this principle called curb appeal.

The fact is, what people perceive about us is very important, for it determines whether or not they will ever listen to us!

So let me ask you:

Do you have a testimony that you are a positive, optimistic, cheerful, faith-filled, hardworking, dependable team player who is enjoyed by others?

Do non-Christians prefer not to work with you because you frequently display a negative attitude and often give a lazy performance on the job?

What is your “curb appeal” with unsaved people who see you every day?

Do people in the church see you as a person they can depend on, or do they view you as undependable and not serious about your commitment?

How is your “curb appeal” to people in your Christian community?

Do your fellow believers look to you for help when it’s needed, or do they bypass you because their opinion of you is so low that they have discounted you altogether?

I encourage you to think a little deeper about this subject, especially if you want to be used by God to touch other people in this life. And if your present circle of friends doesn’t understand this vital principle, you may need to develop a new circle of friends who do understand it! It’s too important to just ignore the implications, because you can influence people for God only to the extent that people have a high opinion of you.

So I encourage you today: Ask the Lord what specific steps you could begin to take to spruce up your “spiritual curb appeal”!

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, I repent for thinking that other people’s opinion of me is unimportant. Help me live such a powerful, balanced, godly, dependable life that others will look to me as a tower of strength they can rely on. My life is my pulpit, and how I live before others will determine whether or not they respect me. If they do hold me in respect, the door will stay open for me to lead them and to influence them with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. So starting today, I am changing the way I think and embracing the truth that other people’s opinions about me are very important!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I confess that I have a positive influence on the people around me. I have a testimony that I am a cheerful, optimistic, faith-filled, dependable, and hard-working team player who is enjoyed by others. Because I do my best to live according to the Word of God, I have a good reputation with others in both the non-Christian world and in the Christian community. People respect me, honor me, believe me, trust me, and want to follow me because they have witnessed that I am solid, dependable, and reliable. Because the Holy Spirit is working in my character to transform my mind and conform me to the image of Jesus Christ, I have a good testimony with everyone I know and meet.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

Have you ever known a Christian who said all the right words, but whose life didn’t match the things he said or preached? How did that person’s hypocrisy affect you and others who were watching?

Would you want to follow obediently someone you don’t respect? Why not?

What do people think of you? Do they have a high opinion of you and therefore want to know more about your faith, or do they quietly disrespect you? If you are bold enough to do it, why don’t you dare to ask a few people for honest answers to this question!