As
children, it is vital that we bond with our parents and feel an attachment to
them. Often, wounded parents wound their children without ever meaning to do
so. They parent to the best of their ability; but they are hurting humans, and
they pass that pain along.
Cortisol
and adrenalin in our body causes our fight/flight response to danger in our
life, and are elements in our body that are affected by our relationship with
our parents and the world in which we live. Too much, or too little affects our
health.
Cortisol
levels are affected by our generational ties from previous generations, as well
as our relationship to our parents (Exodus 34:6-7). To combat this, many of us
will keep people at a distance, preferring to be alone.
We
may have a poor relationship with our self also, requiring perfection and
erecting high goals for our self to reach. We use addictions, extreme sports,
hobbies and activities, etc. to numb our fears, and to ignore the need to
accept our self just as we are.
This
is never a viable choice, however, because it only increases our insecurities
and fears. We live in dread that others may discover who we really are and
reject us; so we adopt positive qualities from successful people and
incorporate them into our personality.
Bravery
is required in order to be our self, so that we can heal our body and soul from
ancestral and personal trauma, and live at peace in our world. We need to learn
not to define our self by our role or possessions in life, but as a person who
has value and integrity in Christ.
We
also allow God to exorcise us from the demon of perfectionism; so that we can spend
less time obsessing over life, and more time enjoying our world. We learn to
laugh at our foibles, and to live a fulfilling life serving God and other people,
in the same way that we learn to love our self (Mark 12:30-31).
Prayer:
Father
God, teach us to find our value through Your eyes, as Your child, and as co-heirs
with Jesus of Your entire Kingdom. Thank You that Jesus took away our shame by
taking it with Him to the cross, and that He gave us His righteousness in its
place. Remind us that You fill us with your compassion toward our self and
others. Teach us to value who we are in You.
You
help us to accept that we are all flawed human beings in need of a Savior, and
then You give us Your presence in our life to fulfill us through our entire
being (Ephesians 3:16-19, Amplified Bible). We find our peace in the shadow of
Your wings (Psalm 91:4). By Your love for us, we are worthy of health and
wholeness by the blood of Your Lamb, Jesus Christ. You teach us to live in
humility and vulnerability, and to love everyone as a potential friend, because
we are Your friend (James 2:21-23; John 15:15-17).
Thought
for the Day:
Living
an authentic life requires that we trust God to help us to love others as we
love our self, to admit when we are wrong without accepting shame from the
devil, and to allow our self to vulnerably bond with other people; to live any
other way is to invite neurosis, rejection, neglect, abuse, and abandonment,
when all we really want is to feel included, affirmed, valued, cherished and
appreciated.
-
Matthew 22:34-40; James 4:7-8; John 15:13-15
