Human beings are quick to criticize our self and one another. We are often more critical of our own thoughts, words and behavior than anyone else’s. We come up with unique and hurtful derogatory terms for our self and others. Yet, we are slow to compliment successes, ideas and quality character traits.
Then we have other opposite personality types who are braggarts – often triggered by low self-esteem. They promote themselves and their accomplishments as loud as they dare with an audience of any number of people. Some cannot own up to their faults, for fear of falling headlong into the darkest abyss, which is always waiting to swallow them up.
A balance comes when we allow our self to bask in the joy of a job well done, and to share it with our closest family or friend, but not to bombastically broadcast it to the general public. The radiance of appreciating our self stays with us for a lifetime.
The fact is that another person’s opinion of us – good or bad – does not matter in the larger scheme of life. Many famous people hear accolades all of their life, but still live and die lonely and insecure, because they never appreciated or encourage their self.
Encouraging our self for our accomplishments, diligence to our responsibilities, a job well-done, a positive attitude in the midst of negative circumstances, righteous living, walking away from a confrontation, etc. is the opposite of indulging our self and self-centeredness.
Encouragement means taking care of our self where it really matters. The Bible exhorts us to love others as we love our self. If we do not nurture and care for our self, we have no energy to encourage, serve, and love others. Love includes affirming the sanctifying work of God’s Spirit in our soul.
Love also includes “letting go” of the negative lies that we tell our self, that came from the devil’s discouragement, or that originated from the words of our significant others; it also depends on us making peace with these negative thoughts that once dictated our feelings, and healing from them.
Prayer:
Father God, show us that Your Word us full of positive affirmation about how You see us. We can believe Your Word, because it is truth. Of course, You are quick to tell us the accuracy about our self, including that we are sinners and that nothing good resides with us (Romans 7:18-20); but this is simply to help us to realize that we can only go so far on our own.
We need You in our life, and through You we can accomplish everything that You call us to perform. You call us to be childlike in our faith in You, in our obedience to You, in our dependence on You, and in our consulting You each moment of our day. You continually reassure us of Your constant vigilance in our life to provide for, to protect, and to prohibit negative issues from overwhelming us (Psalm 91).
Thought for the Day:
There is a child within each one of us, and we can be encouraging, loving and kind to that childlike part of our self as we throw our self on the mercies of God for Him to care for and nurture us with His compassion, truth, and cherishing love.
