Self-Acceptance

by Olga Hermans

 

Last week we talked about REJECTION, remember? Now I like to ask you this question: “Do you like yourself?” Do you know that most people don’t like themselves? Isn’t that sad? Life is all about making choices as we realize more and more. But, do you know that many people need help to be whole emotionally, mentally, spiritually and socially.

Some people know it, while others don’t even have a clue that it is the very root of all the other problems in their life. Self-rejection and even self-hatred are the root causes of many relationship problems. God wants us to have great relationships. He desires to have to a very close and intimate relationship with us.

If you really look at it, you will see that the Bible is a book about relationships. Here is a great scripture that confirms what I am talking about: 1 Peter 3:11 “[Do not merely desire peaceful relations with God, with your fellowmen, and with yourself, but pursue, go after them!]”.

So, the Word of God instructs us to have good relationships, but it also teaches us how to develop and maintain those relationships. This scripture tells us that we first must have peace with God. You and I must believe that He loves us and he loves us unconditionally and completely at all times; the choice is up to you and me to accept that. This is very profound and not something to take lightly. God is always the same and His love for us is always perfect.

So, that tells us that His love is always there for us…BUT..we must receive His Love. Most of the time that is a big issue for people. When we receive from God, we actually take into ourselves what He is offering. As we receive His love, that love is then in us. Wow!! When we are filled with God’s love, we might make a new start and begin to love ourselves.

And another thing that is so cool is that we can begin to give that love back to God by giving it to other people. We have to remind ourselves that we cannot give away what we don’t have. Rom.5:5

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? Or do we maybe believe that God is like other people who have rejected and hurt us?

What kind of relationship do you have with God, with yourself and with people around you? I have never thought about the fact that I had a relationship with myself, you? It was something I had never thought about until I was exposed to some teaching about it.

I now realize that I spend more time with myself than anyone else and it is very important that I get along well with me. Somebody said once “you are one person you never get away from.

I don’t have to remind you how agonizing it is to work day after day with someone we don’t get along with, but you know what we don’t have to take that person home with us at night. But we are with us all the time, day and night. We never have one minute away from ourselves, not even one second.

Rejecting ourselves does not change us, it actually multiplies our problems. Acceptance causes us to face reality and then begin to deal with it. We cannot deal with anything as long as we are refusing to accept it or denying its reality. It should be an easy choice for us to accept ourselves as we are and grow more and more in our self-acceptance; what do you think? Did this article motivate you in any way? Please take some time to make a comment. Is there a topic that you would like me to write on; is there something that you are really interested in? Let me know and I will do my very best to write an article on it.

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