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What Do You See in the Mirror?

   Written by on April 10, 2014 at 3:16 pm

We may think a picture is worth a thousand words but the same picture does not look the same to everyone. The picture of yourself can be seen from three view points: the view that God has of you, what the people around you see, and lastly the picture you see. Each of these views can be very different. Today, let’s look at what God sees and what we see when we look at ourselves.

Cheryl Gowin, Counselor and Dennis Gowin Director of Hope for Tomorrow Counseling Center. Any feedback, comments, or if you have issues or questions you would like presented in future columns, please feel to contact us at dgowin@hopefortomorrowcounseling.org.

Cheryl Gowin, Counselor and Dennis Gowin Director of Hope for Tomorrow Counseling Center. Any feedback, comments, or if you have issues or questions you would like presented in future columns, please feel to contact us at dgowin@hopefortomorrowcounseling.org.

What does God see? The Lord does not focus on the outside view of us, as we tend to do; rather God looks at our heart. (1 Samuel 16:7), (1 Kings 8:39). In Psalms, David praises God for knowing us from the inside out and he acknowledges that we are wonderfully made. (Psalm 139:13-15) Jesus seemed to assume that we love ourselves when he said, “You shall love neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:39)

Now, what do we see? Our self view is a reflection of our self-esteem. So what is self-esteem? Self-esteem is the way you think, feel, and act about yourself. Your self-esteem is affected by the level you accept, respect, trust and believe in yourself.  When you accept yourself, you live comfortably with both your strengths and your weaknesses, without unreasonable self-criticism or destructive pride.  With a healthy self-esteem you are able to feel good about yourself, appreciate your personal worth, respect and acknowledge your own dignity and value as a human being while holding a reasonable understanding of your weaknesses.  Your behaviors and feelings are consistent enough to give you an inner sense of continuity despite challenges and even failures in your day to day circumstances.

If you have a low self-esteem, you may feel as if others won’t like or accept you. You may believe you don’t have what it takes to do well in anything.  How you feel about yourself can influence how you live your life, how you respond in various relationships, and how well you do in school and work.

Having good healthy self-esteem allows you to accept yourself and live life to the fullest. So what is the key to developing a healthy self-esteem?

Even though as Christians we are taught that God created us in His image, it is normal to struggle with low self-esteem from time to time.  If we are not careful, however, negativity and excessive self-criticism can be habit forming.  When we consistently focus on what we view as negative in our lives, it can become difficult to see the good.  We need to take time focus on our good qualities and our positive characteristics.  Consider making a list of what you do well, the things you appreciate about yourself – and when you start being negative; you can refer to it easily.  Put Post-It notes in places where you can remind yourself of your positive qualities. In your private pray-time, include praising God for your positive qualities, your strengths and your accomplishments.  Positive affirmations are a very effective tool in building self-confidence. It is okay to compliment yourself, celebrate your achievements, and reflect on the positives of your life. Give yourself a break. Don’t be so hard on yourself when you don’t do things just right.

Self-esteem can be pursued without harmful pride and with humility. Self- esteem can be cultivated within the boundaries of biblically wisdom. Remember David’s words: I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. Psalms 139:14

Cheryl Gowin, Counselor and Dennis Gowin, Director of Hope for Tomorrow Counseling Center. Any feedback, comments, or if you have issues or questions you would like presented in future columns, please feel to contact us at dgowin@hopefortomorrowcounseling.org.

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