“…He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.”
Zephaniah 3:17b NKJV
Many people in today’s world pretend to be happy while actually being broken on the inside. This could be due to previous experiences, mistakes, or the inappropriate actions of others toward them. The pain felt as a result of these experiences is real, and it has caused many people to see themselves incorrectly.
Low self-esteem, self-doubt, self-loathing, and insecurity are some of the responses to being hurt. Some, on the other hand, react by becoming defensive, contemptuous, egotistical, and critical of others. Hurt people, as they say, hurt people. To make matters worse, the world provides solutions such as “self-love,” which leads to narcissism.
The truth is that you can’t love yourself or others properly if you don’t believe you’re worthy of love, God’s love (1 John 4:9-10). Even as Christians, we need to be reminded of this truth from time to time in order to maintain a God-esteem that is greater than the actions of others toward us. This is how you should love yourself.
God sees you, and you are not alone. He is aware of your heartbreaks and traumas. In fact, He loves and cares for you. (Zephaniah 3:17, Matthew 6:33, Genesis 16:13, Psalm 136:26)
Similarly, you must recognize that who you are in Christ is not the same as what you feel or experience. The reality of who you are in Christ outweighs any pain you may have experienced. (Romans 8:18; 2 Corinthians 5:16-17)
Yes, the pain is real and possibly traumatizing, but God’s love is a soothing balm that He has lavished on you through Jesus Christ’s sacrifice. You have been created as a new person, free of your past experiences and trauma. You are now full of life, love, joy, and optimism for the future.
Finally, with this knowledge comes another truth: others are also deserving of God’s love, and this should influence how you treat others.
CONFESSION
I see myself the way God sees me
I am not fooled by the world’s definition of self-love
I stick to the word of God
From it, I define my self-worth.
Because I am loved by God
I love myself and others well
Bible Reading Plan: Genesis 20