Self-Image is marketing 101. How you perceive yourself is how you will display yourself to the world. You cannot sell something unless you believe in it. In all my years of sales and marketing experience, it is apparent, that even if you have the gift of “selling” – you cannot sell something you do not believe in.
On the other hand – if you believe in something no matter how obscure, you can sell it.
When we believe the lies and criticism from others - like me – “fatty, fatty” or “bucky beaver” (part 1) we will follow and act accordingly to those deeply engrained beliefs. Lies like – I will always be fat or I will always be ugly have entrenched themselves into our very being.
Just like that sliver that is festering under our skins (in part 3), those comments will continue to fester inside until we remove them. Since we operate in 3 areas – body, mind and spirit – all three areas will continue to be affected. The more wounds, the more deadened our heart is. The more deadened our heart – the more difficult to hear the truth.
Our hearts were made to be the residing place of God. Ephesians 3:17 says “ Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith.”
If I take others people’s comments about me as the way I perceive myself instead of Gods comments about me, I will believe the lies. I have made Gods comments invalid and I have said to myself that God makes junk. I have aligned myself with the world and what the world says must be true.
For me it took realizing that God was infatuated with me. He adored me and wanted a relationship with me. He wanted to be my friend, my best friend. A best friend knows everything about you and loves you all the more. That is what my best friend does for me and really, what other people think of me – well it just does not matter to me anymore.
Christmas is a time for joy and giving – I would like to offer you the very best gift anyone could ever receive – the gift of true love. God sent His Son born as a baby – He brought heaven to earth to live with us, to be an example of complete love and to become our personal Savior – yours and mine. Won’t you accept His offer of love for you today?
These are His words to you:
Zephaniah 3:17 "For the LORD your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs."
Psalm 144:2
"He is my loving God and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield ... who loves me and is my stronghold, my refuge and my deliverer, my shield ...”
Psalm: 17:6-9
"I call on you, my God, for you will answer me; turn your ear to me and hear my prayer. 7 Show me the wonders of your great love, you who save by your right hand those who take refuge in you from their foes. 8 Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings 9 from the wicked who are out to destroy me, from my mortal enemies who surround me."
1 John 3:1
"See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!"