Quit Boosting Self-Image!
We as women, and men too (I think), are told constantly to be ourselves and love ourselves. We are taught ways to boost our self-esteem and our self-image. It's easy as Christians to think that we have to love ourselves ("Love one another as you love yourself."). But really the idea of boosting self-image is a very selfish one.
I've been struggling with a lot of lies receantly and I had heard that it is good to go through the Bible and find verses that combat all the lies you are believing. Now, I am in no way knocking this practice, I think it is a very good one. However, for the kind of lies I was struggling with, there aren't really any verses to expose them as what they are. For example: nowhere in the Bible does it say that Christy Korthals is a fun person to be around.
Dictionary.com defines self-image as follows:
self-im·age
n. The conception that one has of oneself, including an assessment of qualities and personal worth.
In "Only a Woman," by Terri McFaddin, McFaddin says "self-image is based on feelings and perceptions that may have nothing to do with whom God intended you to be." She says that self-image is very much culture based - because of what our culture values we feel we are the wrong size, shape, body type, and have the wrong personality, sense of humor and whatever else. McFaddin writes of our "God-image," and she defines this as "the person God intended you to be from the womb - the person with specific gifts, purpose, and calling."
When we are worried about our weight, our appearance, and our personality - thinking no one really loves us or cares about us, we are worried about how the world sees us. We are worried about how we are rated in the culture we were raised in. When really what we should be worried about what God thinks of us, and how He rates us. And the fact is, He thinks we are pretty darn sweet!
"just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be HOLY and WITHOUT BLAME before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will"
~Ephesians 1:4-5 (NKJV)
"God purchased you at a HIGH price. Don't be enslaved by the world."
~1 Corinthians 7:23 (NLT)
So let's quit boosting our self-image and start boosting our God-image. I don't want this world to define my worth or my value. So really why should I even care about my self-image? The fact is, I don't! Well, at least I'm working on not caring. It IS going to be a struggle and it isn't somthing that I can just decided to do today and plan on doing the rest of my life. Like most of the Christian life it requires a daily dying to self and choosing to see myself as God sees me. And seeing the potential God has for me - who He has predestined me to become! It will be a long, hard struggle, but one I am excited to make!
ARE YOU WITH ME?
posted by Christy @ 8:27 PM
3 comments
3 Comments:
I'm with you. Those are great thoughts. My two favorite verses on this subject are Ephesians 2:10 (For we are God's workmanship/masterpiece/poem) and Song of Solomon 8:10, "I have become in his eyes like one who brings contentment." There are a lot more too. Learngin to see ourselves realistically, as God sees us, is probably one of the most important things we can do as his children.
right on!
it sucks there's no verses that say "christy is fun" outright, but i guess if God wanted to be specific there'd also be lines like "nate's a tard" so i think that God, in his infinite wisdom knew better than that.
thats what the relationship is so great for. that affirmation that we are loved by Him, and very valueable to him. also, he can tie down the specifics with us there instead of having a book like Numbers or Leviticus only way longer with God's comments on everyone. cause i'd never be able to read the whole bible if there were books like that in it. i have enough trouble with the books with storylines...
anyway.
pretty sweet to see you growing and learnin' christy! i'm prayin for ya!
by the way, you ARE fun. just thought i'd mention that. for instance, i'm still laughing about how you reacted to us all watching "ever after". right now. talk to you later :)
Hey Christy!
I came across this passage in Colossians and I think it kind of fits in with this. Its Colossians 2:6-17:
6As you have therefore received Christ, [even] Jesus the Lord, [so] walk (regulate your lives and conduct yourselves) in union with and conformity to Him.
7Have the roots [of your being] firmly and deeply planted [in Him, fixed and founded in Him], being continually built up in Him, becoming increasingly more confirmed and established in the faith, just as you were taught, and abounding and overflowing in it with thanksgiving.
8See to it that no one carries you off as spoil or makes you yourselves captive by his so-called philosophy and intellectualism and vain deceit (idle fancies and plain nonsense), following human tradition (men's ideas of the material rather than the spiritual world), just crude notions following the rudimentary and elemental teachings of the universe and disregarding [the teachings of] Christ (the Messiah).
9For in Him the whole fullness of Deity (the Godhead) continues to dwell in bodily form [giving complete expression of the divine nature].
10And you [a]are in Him, made full and having come to fullness of life [in Christ you too are filled with the Godhead--Father, Son and Holy Spirit--and reach full spiritual stature]. And He is the Head of all rule and authority [of every angelic principality and power].
11In Him also you were circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands, but in a [spiritual] circumcision [performed by] Christ by stripping off the body of the flesh (the whole corrupt, carnal nature with its passions and lusts).
12[Thus [b]you were circumcised when] you were buried with Him in [your] baptism, in which you were also raised with Him [[c]to a new life] through [your] faith in the working of God [[d]as displayed] when He raised Him up from the dead.
13And you who were dead in trespasses and in the uncircumcision of your flesh (your sensuality, your sinful carnal nature), [God] brought to life together with [Christ], having [freely] forgiven us all our transgressions,
14Having cancelled and blotted out and wiped away the handwriting of the note (bond) with its legal decrees and demands which was in force and stood against us (hostile to us). This [note with its regulations, decrees, and demands] He set aside and cleared [e]completely out of our way by nailing it to [His] cross.
15[God] disarmed the principalities and powers that were ranged against us and made a bold display and public example of them, in triumphing over them in Him and in it [the cross].
16Therefore let no one sit in judgment on you in matters of food and drink, or with regard to a feast day or a New Moon or a Sabbath.
When I read this, it reminds me that a lot of times what I base my self-worth or acceptance on are things that are important to men. But through the cross, I don't have to worry about those things, I have been cleansed from sin and made right (that is transformed into a saint, a holy one) by Jesus Christ. And if Jesus had power over the Law of God to save us, how much more does He have power to save us from the laws and standards of men! I thought it was pretty sweet anyways=)
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