May Christ through your faith [actually] dwell (settle down, abide, make His permanent home) in your hearts! May you be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love.

Ephesians 3:17

SELF-ACCEPTANCE

During my vein's of ministry, I have. discovered that most people really don't like themselves. This is a very big problem, much bigger than one might think initially. It is certainly not God's will for His children to feel this way. Rather, it is a part of Satan's attempt to ruin us.

If we don't get along with ourselves, we won't get along with other people. When we reject ourselves, it may seem to us that others reject us as well. Relationships are a vital part of our lives. How we feel about ourselves is a determining factor in our success in life and in relationships.

Our self-image is the inner picture we carry of ourselves. If what we see is not healthy, not true to the Scriptures, we will suffer from fear, insecurity, and various misconceptions about ourselves. For many years, it devastated my own life.

God is a God of hearts. He sees our heart, not just the exterior shell we live in (the flesh) that seems to get us into so much trouble. Our Father in heaven never intended for us to feel bad about ourselves. He wants us to know ourselves and yet accept ourselves in the same way that He does.

Jesus came to bring restoration to our lives. One of the things He came to restore is a healthy, balanced self-image.

GOD'S WORD FOR YOU

And God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good (suitable, pleasant) and He approved it completely. And there, was evening and there was morning, a sixth day.

Genesis 1:31

THE ROOT OF REJECTION

Rejection starts as a seed that is planted in our lives through different things that happen to us. The devil Joes nor want to plant just a seed of rejection. He wants to plant it deep so it will develop into a root that will go way down and have other little rootlets attached to it. Eventually these roots and rootlets will become a tree.

Whatever you are rooted in will determine the fruit in your life-good or had. It you are rooted in rejection, abuse, shame, guilt, or a poor self-image-if you are rooted in thinking, Something is wrong with me!-your “tree” will bear depression, negativism, a lack of confidence, anger, hostility, a controlling spirit, judgmentalism, a chip on the shoulder, hatred, and self-pity. It leads you to say to yourself, “Well, the real me is not acceptable, so I need to produce a pretend me!”

All the areas of your life that are out of order can be reconciled through Jesus and the work that He has done on the cross. It happened to me, and God can do it for you. Begin to believe it! Don't settle for bondage, but he determined to be free!

Here is the good news-you can be delivered from the power of rejection!

GOD'S WORD FOR YOU

…God's love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit Who has been given to us.

Romans 5:5

GODLY SELF-LOVE

The Bible teaches us that the love of God has been poured out: in our hearts by the Holy Spirit Who has been given to us. That simply means that when the Lord, in the person of the Holy Spirit, comes to dwell in our heart because of our tenth in His Son Jesus Christ, He brings love with Him, because God is love (1 John 4:8).

We all need to ask ourselves what we are doing with the love of God that has been freely given to us. Are we rejecting it because we don't think we are valuable enough to be loved? Do we believe God is like other people who have rejected and hurt us? Or are we receiving His love by faith, believing that He is greater than our failures and weaknesses?

We should love ourselves-not in a selfish, self-centered way that produces a lifestyle of self-indulgence, but in a balanced, godly way, a way that simply affirms God's creation as essentially good and right.

God's plan is this: He wants us to receive His love, love ourselves in a godly way, generously love Him in return, and finally love all the people who come into our lives.

When God reaches out to love us, He is attempting to start a cycle that will bless not only us but also many others.

Copyright © 2001 by Joyce Meyer

Tags: Christianity, Christian Devotionals

About the Author

JOYCE MEYER has been teaching the Word of God since 1976 and in full-time ministry since 1980. She is the bestselling author of more than fifty inspirational books, including How to Hear from God, Knowing God Intimately, and Battlefield of the Mind. She has also released thousands of teaching cassettes and a complete video library. Joyce's Enjoying Everyday Life radio and television programs are broadcast around the world, and she travels extensively conducting conferences.