“How you treat yourself is how you are inviting the world to treat you.”
― Anonymous
Be kind to yourself.
When I say that you need to be kind to and love yourself, I'm not referring to the stuck-up, prideful, worldly type of loving oneself (also known as self-worship); I'm talking about a concept of being thankful, and appreciating the person who God has made you to be. Did you know that in Zechariah 2:8, God says that you are apple of His eye? You are a special treasure to God, and He loves you very much. He wants you to be confident in who He made you to be. If you do not love yourself totally, wholly, and fully, somewhere along the way you learned not to. Just like you learn how to read, or learn how to ride a bike, you can learn how to love yourself. Start being kind to yourself right now. If you can't say something nice about yourself, practice giving yourself encouraging compliments. David of the Bible was a humble man with a heart after God's own, yet he praised and thanked God for the marvelous work that God had made (referring to his own physical body). King David appreciated and thanked God for what God gave him. Instead of saying, "I'm ugly", David was saying, "Wow! Look at what God gave me! It's marvelous!!" It's vital that we develop this same attitude about what God's given each of us as well. Say the same thing God says about you. Let it change the way you think so that you can change the way you live. Every unique characteristic was given to you by God to do mighty things in the earth. Did you know that you were created in God's own image, and whenever you consider yourself dumb, ugly, etc., you're actually considering something that God made as being ugly, dumb, etc.? Every talent, every gift, everything that makes you who you are is special and unique. Focus on your strengths, not your weaknesses. Thank God for all that you are and all that you will one day become.
Focus Scriptures:
Psalm 139:14
"I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well."
Genesis 1:26
And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth."
Colossians 2:10
I am complete in Him who is the Head of all principality and power.
Deuteronomy 7:6
For you are a holy and set-apart people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a special people to Himself out of all the peoples on the face of the earth.
Joy in Action Today:
Practice giving yourself uplifting and encouraging compliments. Focus on your strengths and good qualities. Write them down, and look back on them when you are feeling discouraged.
Examples: "I am really blessed because..."; "I thank God for making me..."; "I am God's creation, and I am..."
