Men, Women and our self-esteem – Part 4

Men, Women and our self-esteem – Part 4

The concept of self-consciousness is as old as human history itself. If you believe it, it all started in Eden with Adam and Eve. They had no shame at all as they were created naked, but as soon as they chose to disobey God they no longer had, no shame. They knew that they were naked and they hid themselves from Him. There is nothing new under the sun, and the same seems to be the case today. Of course we are already born into this world with all of its conventions, traditions and opinions on how to conform to “norms”, but how does this all affect our minds and how we live? This week we will talk about the issue of self-esteem using the Bible as the go to reference book of choice…cont’d.

In the New Testament, Jesus spoke many times about laying down our lives for our friends (John 15:13), the apostles spoke of “dying to our old selves” (Romans 6:6) and it was even mentioned that some “loved not their lives unto death” (Rev. 12:11). This could bring a person to tears if not put in the correct context, but the point is, our physical bodies are only here for a time, but the spiritual portion of the body, our spirit or soul, is what connects with God, through the Holy Spirit. So although we ought not to love our bodies in a carnal sense, I believe we should let God love our souls and bodies as temples of God and we should do the same (1 Corinthians 6:19). As the Bible suggests, “keep yourself unstained from the world” (James 1:27). The key is to work on your mind and your spirit in relationship with God, through Christ and your true, godly character will shine in this world! And if you are going to love yourself, do it for God’s sake not the world’s!

Darrell

Seven Steps to Freedom

Men, Women and our self-esteem – Part 3

Men, Women and our self-esteem – Part 3

The concept of self-consciousness is as old as human history itself. If you believe it, it all started in Eden with Adam and Eve. They had no shame at all as they were created naked, but as soon as they chose to disobey God they no longer had, no shame. They knew that they were naked and they hid themselves from Him. There is nothing new under the sun, and the same seems to be the case today. Of course we are already born into this world with all of its conventions, traditions and opinions on how to conform to “norms”, but how does this all affect our minds and how we live? This week we will talk about the issue of self-esteem using the Bible as the go to reference book of choice…cont’d.

Now for some recommendations from the Bible, Jesus said “Do not worry about the clothes you wear…is not…the body more than clothes?” (Matthew 6:25). Just like Adam and Eve were created without clothing, we are not to put endless emphasis on the type of clothing we wear. I know as a child I would rarely wear clothing more than once a week. I was always wearing something “new”. Although I was not aware of what I was doing at the time, the necessity of not “worrying” about clothing frees up more time for other concerns. Is it any wonder that the working world and many schools have standardized uniforms in many cases? I am not sure if this was done because of “Divine inspiration” or not, but certainly it takes the “worry” out of what you have to wear during the day.

More to come…

Darrell

Seven Steps to Freedom

Men, Women and our self-esteem – Part 2

Men, Women and our self-esteem – Part 2

The concept of self-consciousness is as old as human history itself. If you believe it, it all started in Eden with Adam and Eve. They had no shame at all as they were created naked, but as soon as they chose to disobey God they no longer had, no shame. They knew that they were naked and they hid themselves from Him. There is nothing new under the sun, and the same seems to be the case today. Of course we are already born into this world with all of its conventions, traditions and opinions on how to conform to “norms”, but how does this all affect our minds and how we live? This week we will talk about the issue of self-esteem using the Bible as the go to reference book of choice…cont’d.

Next, the Bible is replete with rules about how we should treat our bodies. What we should do in order to portray ourselves before other people, etc. I could go on with all of the rules I may be able to find in the Bible about what to wear and what not to, but I am not sure it would really serve its purpose in this piece. We live in a society where almost anything seems to be acceptable at some level, and I would suggest that this is probably nothing new. What I have experienced and what the Bible would suggest is dress modestly for the occasion (1 Timothy 2:9). And I would say this might go for both men and women, especially in our current world. If indeed our bodies are God’s temple and we are to treat them with the respect God would desire of us, then we have to decide what is appropriate. Excess in anything including jewellery, piercings, hair do’s, make-up, etc., can be time consuming to upkeep at the least, but to each person their own.

More to come…

Darrell

Seven Steps to Freedom

Men, Women and our self-esteem – Part 1

Men, Women and our self-esteem – Part 1

The concept of self-consciousness is as old as human history itself. If you believe it, it all started in Eden with Adam and Eve. They had no shame at all as they were created naked, but as soon as they chose to disobey God they no longer had, no shame. They knew that they were naked and they hid themselves from Him. There is nothing new under the sun, and the same seems to be the case today. Of course we are already born into this world with all of its conventions, traditions and opinions on how to conform to “norms”, but how does this all affect our minds and how we live? This week we will talk about the issue of self-esteem using the Bible as the go to reference book of choice.

It is amazing this idea of self-consciousness. I’m not sure who created the idea, but it can be an amazingly dangerous concept if not viewed properly. I will openly admit that I have been self-conscious on various levels and at different stages of my life. I have followed trends with clothing; I have died my hair and even at times resorted to “body modification”, through tattoos and self-harm. This has caused me physical pain, but has also defined me as a person at various stages in my life, so I am not completely sure how I ought to feel about it in the end. I do know one thing is for sure, God heals! If you are or have been going through some form of crises of self-image, put your faith in God, through Christ and He will deliver you from it! He loves you as you are; no ifs, ands or buts!

More to come…

Darrell

Seven Steps to Freedom

Self Esteem, Inadequacy and Shame – How has the skyrocketing divorce rate and other life choices affected your life here on earth? – Part 5

Self Esteem, Inadequacy and Shame – How has the skyrocketing divorce rate and other life choices affected your life here on earth? – Part 5

This week’s topic could not have come at a better time. I have been mauling over this topic for the last few weeks and had put it aside, but now it has come clear to me what needs to be said. This week’s topic is about self-esteem, it’s about feeling inadequate and it is about feeling shameful. The world is filled with options for us, right from the beginning when we choose as babies what food we want in our mouths and what we do not. But we have continued to make choices throughout our lives, good and bad, not always thinking about the consequences. This week we will talk about our self-esteem and feelings of inadequacy using the Bible as the go to reference book of choice…cont’d.

Isaiah 54:4-8, is a perfect explanation of how God feels about us in our feelings of shame, guilt and inadequacy (Isaiah 54:4-8). As I had said, we serve a living God; He is slow to wrath, but quick to heal (Psalm 145:8). Do not let the deceiver convince you otherwise. The God we serve is the everlasting God, the God that knows everything about you. Everything you have gone through and anything you may go through. Put your trust in Him, the living God and He will deliver you from your problems (Psalm 144:2)! As the Bible says, God is our strength and our deliverer, put your trust in Him (Isaiah 41:10, Psalm 18:2). Put on the full armour of God and stand against your adversary in confidence that you have a greater Protector fighting for you (Ephesians 6:10-18). To God be the Glory!

Darrell

Seven Steps to Freedom

Self Esteem, Inadequacy and Shame – How has the skyrocketing divorce rate and other life choices affected your life here on earth? – Part 4

Self Esteem, Inadequacy and Shame – How has the skyrocketing divorce rate and other life choices affected your life here on earth? – Part 4

This week’s topic could not have come at a better time. I have been mauling over this topic for the last few weeks and had put it aside, but now it has come clear to me what needs to be said. This week’s topic is about self-esteem, it’s about feeling inadequate and it is about feeling shameful. The world is filled with options for us, right from the beginning when we choose as babies what food we want in our mouths and what we do not. But we have continued to make choices throughout our lives, good and bad, not always thinking about the consequences. This week we will talk about our self-esteem and feelings of inadequacy using the Bible as the go to reference book of choice…cont’d.

If you are still not convinced let us talk a little more about our sins and how God views them. First, let’s talk about our youthful sins (Ecclesiastes 11:9). We may have made mistakes years ago that are coming back to haunt us, through guilt or outright accusation by others or the adversary (Psalm 25:7). Although we are held accountable for the choices we make, especially if they involve breaking human laws as well as God’s laws. We are still forgiven regardless, if we accept Christ as our saviour (Romans 10:9). One way of getting rid of the guilt in your mind or life in general, is to talk to someone else about it. The Bible says, “Confess your sins one to another and you will be healed” (James 5:16). I have found this to be the truth every time I speak to someone else about my guilt, problems, etc. The key is to listen to the other person’s advice and comments about your problem and pray about it!

More to come…

Darrell

Seven Steps to Freedom

Self Esteem, Inadequacy and Shame – How has the skyrocketing divorce rate and other life choices affected your life here on earth? – Part 3

Self Esteem, Inadequacy and Shame – How has the skyrocketing divorce rate and other life choices affected your life here on earth? – Part 3

This week’s topic could not have come at a better time. I have been mauling over this topic for the last few weeks and had put it aside, but now it has come clear to me what needs to be said. This week’s topic is about self-esteem, it’s about feeling inadequate and it is about feeling shameful. The world is filled with options for us, right from the beginning when we choose as babies what food we want in our mouths and what we do not. But we have continued to make choices throughout our lives, good and bad, not always thinking about the consequences. This week we will talk about our self-esteem and feelings of inadequacy using the Bible as the go to reference book of choice…cont’d.

I could go into great detail about our adversary and how there is evil in this world that wants to remind us about our past, etc., which is true (1 Peter 5:8). You can read more about that in another article, Good, Evil and Choice – What is the reality of Good and Evil and what can we do about it? But more importantly let us talk about our advocate, Jesus Christ (1 John 2:1). He is the living God, who came down in the flesh through the life of Jesus Christ. He bore our guilt (Isaiah 53:4). He paid the price for our sins (1 John 2:1). It was a gift (Titus 3:5). Not because of something we did, but because of God’s loving nature, He sent His begotten Son to die for our sins (Ephesians 2:8). This is the loving God that we serve, a God that keeps no record of wrong (1 Corinthians 13:5); A God that formed us in the womb (Psalm 139:13); A God that knows the plans He has for us (Jeremiah 29:11); A God that knew us before we were created (Jeremiah 1:5). Our Creator. Our God!

More to come…

Darrell

Seven Steps to Freedom

Self Esteem, Inadequacy and Shame – How has the skyrocketing divorce rate and other life choices affected your life here on earth? – Part 2

Self Esteem, Inadequacy and Shame – How has the skyrocketing divorce rate and other life choices affected your life here on earth? – Part 2

This week’s topic could not have come at a better time. I have been mauling over this topic for the last few weeks and had put it aside, but now it has come clear to me what needs to be said. This week’s topic is about self-esteem, it’s about feeling inadequate and it is about feeling shameful. The world is filled with options for us, right from the beginning when we choose as babies what food we want in our mouths and what we do not. But we have continued to make choices throughout our lives, good and bad, not always thinking about the consequences. This week we will talk about our self-esteem and feelings of inadequacy using the Bible as the go to reference book of choice…cont’d.

That is when, a couple of years ago when I was working fulltime in the military, I started to go back to Church. I was looking for something more and needed answers. This was the beginning of my journey in repenting of all of the mistakes I had made in the past. That being said, I still had quite a road to travel on, before I came to where I am today and I still am travelling on that road (Hebrews 12:1). However, what I would like to say first and foremost about anyone who is reading this is that, if you feel inadequate or feel some shame for something you think is wrong with you, you are not alone! I can promise you that!

More to come…

Darrell

Seven Steps to Freedom

Self Esteem, Inadequacy and Shame – How has the skyrocketing divorce rate and other life choices affected your life here on earth? – Part 1

Self Esteem, Inadequacy and Shame – How has the skyrocketing divorce rate and other life choices affected your life here on earth? – Part 1

This week’s topic could not have come at a better time. I have been mauling over this topic for the last few weeks and had put it aside, but now it has come clear to me what needs to be said. This week’s topic is about self-esteem, it’s about feeling inadequate and it is about feeling shameful. The world is filled with options for us, right from the beginning when we choose as babies what food we want in our mouths and what we do not. But we have continued to make choices throughout our lives, good and bad, not always thinking about the consequences. This week we will talk about our self-esteem and feelings of inadequacy using the Bible as the go to reference book of choice.

I have to admit, I could barely get my thoughts down on paper for this topic, but I finally came to the point of realizing why. I was feeling the exact feelings I wanted to talk about. The fact of the matter is, I have not always consciously followed the “narrow path” (Matthew 7:13). And that has led me down some very dark and dingy tunnels. I have probably broken every one of the Ten Commandments more than once no doubt and others as well along my journey in life, albeit most spiritually (James 2:10). When I was younger I tried to do the right thing and make the right choices, I inevitably did not, which did not only affect myself, but the people I cared about around me.

More to come…

Darrell

Seven Steps to Freedom