After World War I, hundreds of French soldiers were in shock.
They had seen so many people die. They had watched bombs explode. They had been tortured as prisoners of war. They were in so much shock that many of them could not remember who there were. The French military's records were so bad that they didn't know who they were either. How could those soldiers with amnesia remember their names and be joined together with their families again? Someone suggested an Identification Rally to be held in Paris and announced throughout France. So that's what happened.
On the day the rally took place, thousands of people gathered in a large plaza in Paris. One by one the confused soldiers mounted the high platform and anxiously asked, "Please, please, can somebody tell me who I am?"
Today many young people are asking similar questions. Who am I? Why am I here? Bill Gothard in his seminar Basic Youth Conflicts shared 20 secrets for self-acceptance. We're already looked at 15 of these. In this session we are going to look at the last five secrets. We learn about each secret by asking a question.
16. DOES GOD WANT ME TO ACCEPT MY FACE THE WAY IT IS?
The way my face looks can be greatly changed by the spiritual condition of my heart. Bitterness and anger will cause facial muscles to tighten and to become hard. Guilt and fear will cause the eyes to deepen in their sockets. On the other hand, Proverbs 15:13 says
The Hebrew word for cheerful literally means "to make well, whole and beautiful."
When should defects on my face be corrected? The way my face looks is one of the most important ways that I express the love and truth of Jesus Christ to others. Because of this, if a mark or defect on my face distracts or hinders others from hearing my words and if it can be corrected then it should be corrected. If a front tooth is chipped and people notice it when I'm talking, it would be good to have a dentist repair it. If the defect can be corrected, others may wonder why it has not been done.
17. SHOULD I TRY TO ACCEPT MYSELF TO BECOME SELF-CONFIDENT?
As I learn to accept the way God made me my confidence should never be in myself but in the power of Christ to work in and through me. In Luke 9:23 Jesus said, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself. In 2 Timothy 3:1-2 Paul said that in "the last days ... men shall be lovers of their own selves." In Romans 12:3 Paul tells someone "not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think." Self-acceptance doesn't lead to self-confidence but to God-confidence. The more I am aware of my human weaknesses and inabilities the more I will be able to receive God's strength. In Philippians 3:3 Paul exhorts believers to "have no confidence in the flesh." This union with Christ is the secret of my confidence. That's why Paul says,
Galatians 2:20 |
"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me"
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18. MUST I KNOW MY SPIRITUAL GIFT TO FULLY ACCEPT MYSELF?
Every Christian is given a spiritual gift. Just as each part of our body is important and necessary so each person with their spiritual gift is important and necessary. In 1 Corinthians 12:15 Paul explains this by saying, "If the foot should say, 'Because I am not a hand, I am not (a part) of the body,' is it not (a part) of the body?" Then in verse 21 he says, "And the eye cannot say to the hand, 'I have no need of you'; or the head to the feet, 'I have no need of you.'" In fact, it goes on to say that the weaker a body part is the more necessary it is. If any part of the body suffers or doesn't function then the whole body suffers. When you know that you have a vital function as a part of the body of Christ it will help you accept yourself.
19. IF I LIKE MYSELF DOES IT MEAN THAT I HAVE ACCEPTED MYSELF?
Self acceptance is far deeper than simply liking yourself. In fact, it's not really related to liking yourself at all. Self-acceptance is seeing God's design for you and understanding the purpose of each feature which has brought into your life. Some unchangeables may be unpleasant, like Paul's thorn in the flesh. However, self-acceptance is being at peace with God for His allowing the unchangables to be in your life and being excited for what can be accomplished in and through your life because of them. The more fully you understand and appreciate the way God made you, the more you can love your neighbors as yourself (Matthew 19:19).
20. DOES ACCEPTING MYSELF SOLVE THE SELF-REJECTION PROBLEM?
Self acceptance involves more than a once-for-all decision. It requires an active, daily acceptance of what God has brought into your life. The best way to solve the self-rejection problem is to obey God. We have bad feelings when we do wrong and feel guilty and when God convicts us of sins, like self-pity and self-centeredness. A good self-image (feeling good about yourself) comes when you do what God instructs you to do, even when you don't feel like it. John 13:17 says, "If you know these things, happy are you if you do them." Obedience is the key to a happy, well-adjusted life.
Imagine that this week a young wife gave birth to her first baby. Now imagine that she held her new baby in her arms and was enjoying being as mother. Then a stranger comes up to her and says, "How much money do you want for your child?" Of course, she would not be interested in selling her child. She would even be angry at the stranger. And then the stranger says, "I'll give you one ock won ($100,000)," then "I'll give you ten ock won ($1,000,000)." What would the mother do? She would hold her baby tight and say, "My baby is worth more to me than all the money in the world." Why does she say that? Because she likes to change thousands of dirty diapers? Because she can't wait to stay up all night when her baby is sick? Because the child will make her famous or wealthy? No! Why does she say, "My baby is worth more than all of the money in the world" It's because the child has come from her, is a part of her. She has chosen to value and love this tiny person. You also are valuable. You're come from God. You're made by God. You're created in God's image and likeness. That's why you're valuable. Jesus said, "You didn't choose Me, but I chose you"(John 15:16).
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by Steve Nicholes
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