Here I am, 34 years old, and still checking myself out in every mirror reflection to see if everything is in place as I walk to my car after a long day’s work. The very thing that I tell my children not to focus on, I’m struggling with myself. Wishing that my arms were smaller, my waist was thinner, and my hair was longer, I looked into my reflection only to see what’s been looking back at me all my life. The words “disappointment”, “failure”, “fat”, “un-cared for”, and “broken” take over my thoughts. That is until, I remember what God says about me.
The struggle to value myself is real, but the word of God is here to help me with that. It’s here to help you with that as well! Now I can’t tell you why I have low self-esteem from time to time. Many people usually look at me and ask the same question, “Why would someone as talented and pretty as you have low self-esteem?” The quick answer is because the enemy uses that as a tactic to get you off of the path God originally had set for you. If he can get you to feel like you’re less than, then he can set up hurdles along the way to try to bring you down even further.
When you have low self-esteem, it can cause you to make bad decisions in: relationships, careers, spirituality,parenting, and the company you keep. Now, I’m not going to sit here and lie and say that everyday I see in myself what God sees in me, but I will say that I’m working on it. So instead of allowing the word “disappointment” to float around my head, I replace it with the word “overcomer”. Instead of the word “failure” antagonizing me, I tell myself that I’m “prosperous”. Instead of the word “fat” weighing down on my shoulders, I tell myself that I’m “fearfully and wonderfully” made. When I start feeling myself dive down into a slight depression thinking that because of a few failed relationships that I’m uncared for, I remember that God never leaves me nor forsakes me.
He’s always there to comfort me and He cares for me and will take my burdens if I give them to Him. He will do the same for you as well! As far as dealing with feeling broken, the word says in Psalms 34:18, “The Lord is near to the broken-hearted and saves the crushed in spirit”. Even as I’m writing this letter, I know there will be days that I need uplifting and encouragement. Trust me as a single parent, we can use uplifting encouragement everyday! I’m not going to say that I won’t ever have a negative thought about myself, wishing that something would be different. But I will say that as I think of myself the way God thinks about me, I won’t allow those negative thoughts to linger as long. The word says that whatever a man (or woman) thinks of themselves, so they are. So, what do you think about yourself? What is one of your favorite go-to scriptures when you’re feeling down? Let me know in the comments below!