Hi Julie,
I used to ask my children a question when they would come and tell me somebody had insulted them. I would say... "just because ________ said you where ____________ doesn't mean you are __________, it means they were being rude.
So in other words just because the neighbor boy said you were stupid doesn't mean you are stupid, it means they were being rude.
I know this seems juvenile but the point is... you can't let others define who you are. You have to see yourself through Jesus' perfect love. You can't let others remarks get to you. You have the power to control your thoughts. Love your family, understand when people are hurt they hurt people. When someone insults you, they are coming from a perspective of their own baggage. They have no clue who you really are. But God know and He loves you.
The following scripture tells you how God looks at you.
I Corinthians 13: 4-13 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.
11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
This is how you need to look at yourself...
Look at the scripture above, I Corinthians 13: 4-13, it talks about perfect love. God’s love. When God sees you, He is patient and kind. When someone says something negative to you a lot of times it comes from a place in their hearts that may envy something you have. You don’t have to worry about Jesus’ opinion of you coming from a place of envy. He doesn’t want to associate with you because of something you can do for Him. He will never be rude, he doesn’t seek His own kind. He doesn’t care if you are black white, big small. He could care less about what you look like. Nothing you will do will make Him impatient or aggravated. He will never think anything evil about you. He is not happy when you make a mistake, but is joyful and rejoices when you win. He bears your hurts, sorrows happiness and believes only good things about you. His love for you will never fail.
11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
A child will give up easy, and allow others to tell them who they are. We should look at ourselves in light of this passage. When we make a mistake, don’t let yourself or others, decide who you are. Your opinion of “you†should only be measured looking at yourself through God’s eyes. If I blow it, I need to see that mistake through these scriptures, I shouldn’t look at the ugly, when I make a mistake I don’t get mad at myself. I think “Dang I made a mistake, I need to be patient with myself and understand I am learning. I don’t look at others and say “they can be good, why can’t I? Now what are they going to think of me" I will not be rude to myself and say things like they said I was one way or the other, then that must be who I am. I will not say “look at so and so, they are worse than I am, I guess I’m not that bad. I will rejoice with myself when I win and encourage myself when I make a mistake. God’s Words are more powerful than yours or other peoples words.
(v. 11a) When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child…
Put away these childish things your friends and family says. See yourself as you are, beautifully and wonderfully made. And when I say these things to you I am also saying them to myself, because I have a hard time not letting others remarks affect me too.
Love, Kelli
