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Self-Acceptance
by Janet Riley Self acceptance is a three stage process. I have been struggling with this one for a long time, due to low self-esteem issues. 1. I need to realize that God first loves me. This love is unconditional. It is based on the fact that when I accepted Jesus, I became a child of God. There is nothing I did or could do to earn that love. It is a gift from God. 2. Since God loves me, then I need to accept and love myself unconditionally. This is where I stumble. I get caught up in performance issues. Am I being a "good" Christian? I am my own judge, jury and executioner. God has to remind me that when He created me, He did not make mistakes. I have to focus on who I am as a child of God, not on what I am doing, or how I am doing. 3. Only then can I love others - to love your neighbor as yourself. I can't love my neighbor until I am healed enough to love myself with God's unconditional love. To love my neighbor means to see them as a child of God. They have value because God created them. I may not approve of their actions, but I do not have the right to judge them. They need to see God's unconditional love from me. (C) Janet Riley, 2014. I know God as a personal God who communicates with us, if we listen. I am starting on a Christian writing career and open to where God leads me. Please review my other articles at FaithWriters. I would like to hear from you. Please email at [email protected]. Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |