CREATE YOUR OWN IMAGE
«Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them» (Psalm 139:16).
OVER TIME, we build an image of ourselves. Our parents, brothers, and friends are always ready to help by telling us what they think we are. Our «self-image» is something like a «photograph.» A mental representation of ourselves; not only of our physical features, but also of what we have learned to internalize about our psychological characteristics based on the judgment of us made by others.
According to the American author Maxwell Maltz, our self-image sets the limits of our personal success. When I think about this, I remember the qualifiers that the significant adults in my life applied to me in my childhood and youth. Despite the years that have passed, they still echo in my present.
Many of the behaviors we adopt as adults are based on the labels someone put on us when we were little. The words of praise, as well as the words that denote our essence as daughters of God, leave a mark on the concept we have of ourselves. That’s why we must be careful what we say when we refer to others, and equally selective in the way we think of ourselves.
Dear friend, if your life has been «marked» by the negative comments your parents or other people close to you have said, try to redeem all the qualities God gave you when you were created. You are His daughter, created in His image and likeness, and there is no circumstance that can undermine this reality. The process of restoring God’s original likeness must be based on what God thinks you are worth to Him with a courageous attitude but clothed in humility. Discuss your life with God, be encouraged and start walking toward your full development. The Lord, who created you, says to you, «Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine» (Isaiah 43: l).
To develop a proper image of yourself, never allow someone to lower you as a daughter of God. Appreciate your physical, emotional, and spiritual qualities, for they are the tools God has given you to build your life. Respect others so you can ask to be respected. If you think there is something in your life that needs to be changed, dare to do so, God is on your side.
May your prayer be: «Thank you, Lord, for the wonderful way in which you created me; help me forgive the offenses I have received and give me the opportunity to be an agent of love.»
#WomensDevotional
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Take From: Daily Devotions for Women’s 2021
«BRUSHSTROKES OF GOD’S LOVE»
BY: Erna Alvarado Poblete
Collaborators: Lorina Maya & Alejandra Zavala
Radio Joven Adventista
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