19. WHEN I DEVALUE MYSELF, GOD FEELS SAD.
(Before looking at the questions below, take a few minutes to think about this statement. Invite Jesus to speak to you about what He would like you to notice.)
DO YOU FIND THAT YOU OFTEN PUT YOURSELF DOWN? IF SO, WHY?
HOW MIGHT YOUR NEGATIVE SELF-THOUGHTS MAKE GOD FEEL?
HOW DOES IT MAKE YOU FEEL WHEN SOMEONE YOU LOVE PUTS THEMSELF DOWN?
WHY MIGHT GOD FEEL SAD WHEN YOU PUT YOURSELF DOWN?
An accurate and balanced image of myself has two sides. The first side is knowing that I have incomparable worth simply by being human. It's knowing that God deeply loves me and desires that I experience an abundance of life with him and with others. The second side of an accurate and balanced self-image is knowing that what is said about me also applies to every other person in creation. These two sides of our image of self are the bedrock and foundation of all that I do.
Every action I take is informed by, if not generated by, my image of myself. What I think about myself makes a difference. Think of a child. If a teacher believes in a child, affirms that child, and invites the child to believe in themself, the child will likely perform well. Conversely, if a child is told they are a failure, they will likely live according to that opinion. As adults, we are no different, but our actions have even greater consequences.
If I don't think well about myself, I will likely turn to destructive actions that harm myself and others. When I don't think well about another it is an indication that my image of self is diminished also. Often, our negative opinions and actions towards others are our way of trying to improve our own self-image. But the reality, whether we believe it or not, is that God created all of humankind with equal worth.
This means that as I devalue another, I also devalue myself. The negative, hurtful, and destructive actions I sometimes take towards another have the same effect on me. In the sermon on the mount, Jesus says, "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you" (Matthew 5:43-44, NIV). Perhaps Jesus was saying that if our self-image allows us to hate another person, then both our image of ourselves and our image of the other are wrong. Wisely,
Jesus tells us to learn to love our enemies and pray for those who hurt us. If we follow this guidance, we will refuse to hate or persecute anyone—even ourselves. Instead, we will love others for their inherent worth while simultaneously loving ourselves for ours. Simply put, my image of myself makes a difference. My image shapes my actions, and my actions reflect what I think about myself.
When we observe how humanity harms, oppresses, and acts violently against one another, we see how far we humans have lowered our sense of worth. It shows how poorly we think of ourselves, and how much of the abundance of a healthy self-image we are missing. This must make God very sad. Even more, the prophets of the Old Testament tell us that God is not only sad, but he is also angry when people, and systems, become oppressive.
The prophet Micah tells us that God, “has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8, NIV).
If every person simply lived with a correct image of self, we would be incapable of doing harm to ourselves and others. The world would look so radically different that we might even call it "heaven."