Developing a Healthy Self-Image We love Him [God] because He first loved us.1 Jim was standing in line at the supermarket checkout when, to his amazement, in charged an angry, aggressive man, with his browbeaten wife in tow, pushing in line ahead of Jim and several other customers. With a forty pound (twenty-kilogram) sack of flour slung over his shoulder. Handing his wife some money, he growled: Here, you pay for the stuff. He then proceeded to stomp off with his bag of flour. Unknown to him, there was a hole in the back of the flour bag. As he stormed out of the supermarket, he left behind a trail of white flour all the way to his car. As Jim walked out of the store, he noticed that the angry man had just discovered his now half-empty sack of flour. Poetic justice one might suggest! What makes people like this man so obnoxious? Among other possibilities, he undoubtedly has a very poor self-image. The bottom line is that these people dont feel loved. Thats why his wife was such a wimp, too. People who strongly dislike themselves tend to either become weak, passive and over-compliant and withdraw, or project their self-hatred onto the people around them by being aggressive and bullying. Because they dont like themselves, they believe others dont like them either and set themselves up to be rejected. To overcome a poor self-image and the lack of a healthy sense of self-acceptance doesnt happen overnight. It takes time, commitment, and risk taking. More often than not insecurity and a poor self-image has its roots in early childhood where one didnt receive or feel that he received unconditional love. But heres the challenge: What we didnt receive in childhood we need to receive now. And how do we do that? Its simple but not easy. Its based on a biblical principle in that, We love God because He first loved us. In other words (spiritually speaking) we learned to love God through his love for us in that he knows us fully—warts and all—and loves us regardless … unconditionally. The same principle applies emotionally. To truly love others we need to be first loved by at least one safe, understanding, and non-judgmental person. To be loved by that person we need to be fully known by him or her—warts and all—and knowing us as we truly are, they love us unconditionally anyhow. It is through their unconditional love for us that we learn (in time) to love and accept ourselves in a healthy way. Like I said, it is simple but not easy in that it can be very scary because we fear that if we are fully known for who we really are, we may not be liked and then rejected. However, it is only as we take the risk and step out of our comfort zone that we have any chance of learning how to fully love and accept ourselves in a healthy way. The more we do this the more we will improve our self-image, and consequently, the less we will get our feelings hurt and the easier it will be to deal with whatever setbacks come our way. We may still get our feelings hurt but we wont be devastated.For further help in Developing a Healthy Self-Image visit: tinyurl/af5hf Suggested prayer: Dear God, I thank You that You know me fully as I am and love me unconditionally. Please help me to find a safe person to whom I can become fully known and loved and learn to love and accept myself in the same way that You love and accept me. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesuss name, amen. 1. 1 John 14:19 (NKJV). < NOTE: If you would like to accept Gods forgiveness for all your sins and His invitation for a full pardon Click HERE. Or if you would like to re-commit your life to Jesus Christ, please click HERE to note this. ________________________________________ You are subscribed to this list as: [email protected] To Unsubscribe, please use this form: actsweb.org/unsub.php To Change Your E-mail Address, please use this form: actsweb.org/subscribe-change-address.php ________________________________________ NOTE: Click HERE for ACTS Monthly Report. See Weekend Encounter ... without charge every weekend: humor, helps, inspiration. For the current edition: Click HERE. Global Communications Outreach: Learn how to be a missionary right from your own home and have a vital part in worldwide gospel outreach by becoming an ACTS People Power for Jesus Partner. Click HERE There is no charge. How to Know God and be sure youre a real Christian without having to be religious: Click HERE. Archives: For Daily and Weekend Encounter archives: Click HERE. On the Lighter Side: Click HERE. NOTE: You are receiving this recurring mailing because you subscribed on one of our web sites, or requested by email or letter to be subscribed, responded to an advertisement on ArcaMax to be subscribed, or confirmed your subscription after recording your response on one of our web sites. Prayer Partners Needed: One of ACTS Internationals greatest needs is Prayer Partners to stand with us as we seek to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with millions of people around the world through E-mail and the Internet, and to bring people to Jesus. If you would like to join with us as an ACTS Prayer Partner, please Click HERE, and then click on the Subscribe to Prayer Encounter. Unless a special or urgent need arises, we send out only one prayer update report each month. ________________________________________ Published by: ACTS International Report problems to ACTS International © Copyright 1998-2014 ACTS International P.O. Box 73545 San Clemente, California 92673 U.S.A.
Posted on: Fri, 23 Jan 2015 09:53:50 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015