Accepting yourself

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Accepting yourself

'"...Love others as much as you love yourself."' Matthew 22:39

Only by loving yourself in a healthy way, can you love others the way God intended. When you don't love yourself you live with insecurity, and you keep looking to others for approval. When you don't get it, your self-worth shrivels. As a result, you live far beneath your potential. You are the only person you can't get away from, so unless you learn to accept yourself, you'll be miserable.

Stop and think about the last time you were around somebody you didn't enjoy being with; how did it feel? Whether good or bad, you project onto others the thoughts and feelings you have about yourself. So if you want people to think well of you, have a good opinion of yourself; one that's based on God's Word and nurtured by the right relationships. No question, the Bible cautions us about having an over inflated opinion of ourselves. But don't go to the other extreme!

Living with continual self-rejection is an open invitation to Satan, who is always '...sneaking around to find someone to attack' (1 Peter 5:8 CEV). Don't play into his hands! Paul writes: '...nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature...' (Romans 7:18 NIV). That means the good qualities you do possess, are evidence that God is at work in your life. So be sure to acknowledge them. The Bible says, '...we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of...God, and not of us' (2 Corinthians 4:7). Instead of focusing on your flaws and feeling bad about yourself, recognize the 'treasure' of God's presence, power, and potential that lives within you, and build on it.

In Jesus Name, Amen.

 

[**Tasha*Love**]

That was so on point! God is really moving through this forum!

I was thinking this morning about my life after my mom's passing and how it seemed as though everyone rejected me. I was so alone and felt so bad about myself. God was healing me of my infirmity back then but the process was so painful. I have always relied on the approval from others and when I didn't get it I began to seek out God and His word about me. I wanted to be accepted so bad back then and it seems as though the harder I tried the more people turned their backs on me. I can now sit back and see what God was doing my life but the trial was hard. I give God the Glory for showing me that I must accept His love for me and love for myself before I can actually have healthy and productive relationships.

Also, Joyce Myers wrote a book entitled "Approval Addiction" and it really blessed my life.

Thank you for sharing Cherokee!

 

[Kiadodie]

That was so on point! God is really moving through this forum!

I was thinking this morning about my life after my mom's passing and how it seemed as though everyone rejected me. I was so alone and felt so bad about myself. God was healing me of my infirmity back then but the process was so painful. I have always relied on the approval from others and when I didn't get it I began to seek out God and His word about me. I wanted to be accepted so bad back then and it seems as though the harder I tried the more people turned their backs on me. I can now sit back and see what God was doing my life but the trial was hard. I give God the Glory for showing me that I must accept His love for me and love for myself before I can actually have healthy and productive relationships.

Also, Joyce Myers wrote a book entitled "Approval Addiction" and it really blessed my life.

Thank you for sharing Cherokee!

OMG, thank you for this. I got her book "The Mind is a Battlefield" and it has really been a blessing. I also have the need for validation/approval from others and it only has lead me to pure misery. I've been praying about it and I"ve seen and feel God's healing in me, in that area but there is still more work to do. I'm going to get this book, thanks!!

 

[kayte]

I've got to get these books...She's a tough (but effective) cookie

The Mind is a Battlefield"

Joyce Myers wrote a book entitled "Approval Addiction"

I was thinking this morning about my life after my mom's passing and how it seemed as though everyone rejected me. I was so alone and felt so bad about myself. God was healing me of my infirmity back then but the process was so painful. I have always relied on the approval from others and when I didn't get it I began to seek out God and His word about me. I wanted to be accepted so bad back then and it seems as though the harder I tried the more people turned their backs on me. I can now sit back and see what God was doing my life but the trial was hard. I give God the Glory for showing me that I must accept His love for me and love for myself before I can actually have healthy and productive relationships.[/QUOTE]

this is all so true for me but it was my daddy
I am breaking down reading this ....
yes the trial is SO hard...
and rejection even with being mindful of everything
on a core level ..it gets inside..unless there is spiritual intervention

 

[**Tasha*Love**]

Kia "Approval Addiction" is a wonderful book!!! When I read some of your post I realize that we are alot alike. Sometimes the compassionate and caring get hurt the most. I have always looked for validation in life from others but I realized that I only need God's approval. Life has been so much better since I let go of others perception of me. I know that the book will touch your life!

OMG, thank you for this. I got her book "The Mind is a Battlefield" and it has really been a blessing. I also have the need for validation/approval from others and it only has lead me to pure misery. I've been praying about it and I"ve seen and feel God's healing in me, in that area but there is still more work to do. I'm going to get this book, thanks!!

 

[**Tasha*Love**]

Kayte the trial of getting over rejection and wanting others approval is really hard. There aren't enough words to express the heartache that I have endured. It was God's touch that healed me of my pain. I was lead to the life of Paul in the book of Acts and Roamans. Paul endured so much at the hands of others but in the end he stated that nothing would separate him from the Love of God. Pauls testimony had a powerful impact on my life. I looked at myself in the mirror on the 1st anniversary of my mothers passing and proclaimed that no matter who liked me, who didn't like me, those that backstabbed me, lied on me, didn't approval of me and even those that rejected me would NOT separate me from God's love and approval!!!

Its been a hard journey but the lessons learned were worth the pain.

this is all so true for me but it was my daddy
I am breaking down reading this ....
yes the trial is SO hard...
and rejection even with being mindful of everything
on a core level ..it gets inside..unless there is spiritual intervention

 

[Angelicus]

I definitely needed these scriptures this morning. I just got through a break-up and I am having "attention addiction" in terms of my job search, acceptance from family members, friends... Thank you very much for posting this.

 

[plainj]

Kayte the trial of getting over rejection and wanting others approval is really hard. There aren't enough words to express the heartache that I have endured. It was God's touch that healed me of my pain. I was lead to the life of Paul in the book of Acts and Roamans. Paul endured so much at the hands of others but in the end he stated that nothing would separate him from the Love of God. Pauls testimony had a powerful impact on my life. I looked at myself in the mirror on the 1st anniversary of my mothers passing and proclaimed that no matter who liked me, who didn't like me, those that backstabbed me, lied on me, didn't approval of me and even those that rejected me would NOT separate me from God's love and approval!!!

Its been a hard journey but the lessons learned were worth the pain.

Very well said. I'm still learning.

 

[star]

Amen!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[tgrowe]

The title of this thread speaks a mouth full. I started to begin a thread about gaining confidence and courage in the Lord and conquering low self-esteem. I grew up with an alcoholic father who was very verbally abusive as well as intolerant of me as a young lady. I felt he didn't like me for some reason, always finding something I did wrong. I could never do it right in his eyes. He never said, "I love you," or nurtured me as his daughter; it was kind of understood that if he worked to put food on the table, clothes on your back, and a roof over your head, that spoke of his love. Physical affection was not evident. There was much arguing and strife and all of this happening while growing up in poverty did not help one bit. So I grew up resenting my father due to the poverty, the root of rejection, and thelow self-esteem that resulted from that. I remember when I started college, I literally hated him. I would lash out at him in anger when I was really trying to tell him, "You hurt me." I never learned to be courageous, or confident in me being me. I was smart but timid, ambitious but scared, and once I did start speakin up for myself, it was usually in anger which left a bad mark on my reputation.
I eventually learned to love my father. I eventually learned to let some things go, but I held on to other "small weights". My father did quit drinking and maintained his sobriety for 16 years before he passed away this past May. When he passed, which was unexpectedly, I was crushed and it seemed that everything that reminded me of my father, good or bad, began to surface. I am a minister of God's word, but out of hurt and anger and sadness over losing my father, I have really stepped back from church, ministry, the whole nine yards. Now that my father is gone, I realize how much I did care about him and the pain I experienced matters but doesn't matter, if that makes sense. If I could have him here again, my, how I wouldn't sweat the small stuff.

 

[tgrowe]

I know that when you live a life of prayerlessness and do not acknowledge God as your covering, it gives way to Satan to enter and attack every fiber of your being. And that's what I am dealing with right now. I pray that God makes me complete and perfect in his love as it states in I John 4. I have allowed for so long satan to tell me God doesn't love me, he's mad at me, he disapproves of me, and it's due to me not valuing myself, and not loving myself, and ALWAYS comparing myself to others. I ask for prayers, prayers for strength and to denounce depression. Prayers to get on the right track, to love myself and to accept and walk in God's unconditional love.

 

[daydreem2876]

This thread really spoke to me because I can truly say that God is working on this with me. I have done some things, made some BAAADDD decisions, and consistently made some poor decisions in my life. Then when i made the decision to make some changes, I had this fear of being judged by others for my past and not allowed to move forward in their eyes. After much prayer, I came to understand that my past is what it is but the important part is to learn the lessons HE wanted me to learn, go forth and do what God will have me do, and reap his blessings. That has been my path to acceptance of myself