Insecurities. Those things you hate about yourself. Those things we, as Christians, should not have to live with. Last week, I wrote about knowing God and why he made you the way you are. To read that post, click here.
This week, we're exploring ourselves. We need to do these three things in order to start getting over those things we are insecure about.
1. Accept Who You Are.
As we talked about last week, God is your Creator. He makes everything and everyone for a reason, so it's no accident that you were born with bigger bones or a birthmark that you think is ugly.
I used to hate that I was an introvert. It's become kind of popular now, it sounds so mysterious and cool, but it genuinely caused me anxiety when I thought of meeting new people. Or hanging out with a big group. I envied those friends I had who could talk to anyone. I had to learn that if I had an outgoing personality, I wouldn't be me. I would be a totally different person, who might not have the desire or drive to write-- it is a pretty solitary task, after all. A different personality type would've made me an entirely different person.
God created me this way for a purpose. It's okay for me to enjoy being alone and have fewer close friends. I'm learning how to play toward my strengths.
Accepting who you are is vital. Otherwise, you're always going to be unhappy, craving a better situation that may never come along.
2. Be Ready to Grow.
But that's not it. You can't just accept yourself and never change a bit. Yes, you need to be content with the person God created you to be, but that doesn't give you an excuse to keep all your bad habits.
I could accept that I'm an introvert and never spend time with anyone, because it makes me nervous to hang out with people. Or I could accept that it's harder for me to make friends but also push myself to be friendly, to go out and meet people. That doesn't mean I have to be the star of the show, but I can't be a hermit.
Same goes for your situation. If you're overweight, don't hate yourself. But you can also work toward losing some pounds, in a loving, non-judgmental way.
It's all about balance. We don't want to be static. But we also don't want to be killing ourselves because we aren't happy. God loves us the way we are, but also commands us to be more like Him. We need to be growing but not depend on that for our happiness.
3. Find Your Purpose.
Find out why God made you the way He did. We keep talking about His purpose, so try to find it. If you understand how your strengths can be a huge asset to others and God's kingdom, it will help you so much in accepting who you are.
What are you good at? What do you love doing? What do other people think is great for you? Explore these questions, and see how those traits can be something you pursue. Because everyone is talented at something.
Don't give in to your fears. Don't let your shy nature or lack of finances or your bad family background keep you from being your best self. God loves you. You ought to love you too.