For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. Psalm 139:13
Do you like yourself?
If you struggle to think good thoughts about yourself, you’re not alone. Sometimes we tend to focus on the characteristics we lack, comparing our worst with others’ best and downplaying our gifts. Because we’re all too familiar with our shortcomings, it can be a struggle to believe we can do great things.
The trouble is, we sometimes assume God wants us to think poorly of ourselves, believing this is what it means to be humble. Unfortunately, going through life with a poor sense of self-worth has a negative effect—not only on us, but also on the people around us. Being critical of ourselves causes us to be more critical of others, which damages our relationships.
The good news is we can learn how to develop love for ourselves—the kind of healthy self-love that God wants us to have. Over the next few days, we’re going to study God’s love for us and learn to see ourselves as God does, which will empower us to build great relationships both with others and with God. And as we receive God’s love, not only will we be able to love others to a greater degree, but we’ll also be better able to overcome stress and worry, because perfect love cast out all fear.
If you want to develop healthier relationships, start by meditating on what God thinks of you: how loved and cherished, impeccably crafted and richly gifted you are. He wants you to learn to like yourself more, appreciate yourself, believe in yourself, be confident in yourself…and yes, even love yourself!