"Why do I Hate Myself?" Overcoming Self Hate.

PART ONE

Little girls watch the women that surround them. They examine, reflect, and discern. They wonder if what they have; belly, freckles, frizzy hair, legs, shoulders and all- if what they have is good. Am I good? Am I lovely?

We ask: Are you good, are you lovely? We answer their question each time we look into the mirror and say, “Look at my belly, look how fat I am.” or "I need to eat less." or “Look at my arms, they are so fat.”

Without meaning to, or even realizing it happened, we tell our daughters to do the same. To think the same. Your belly, too, is too large. The size of your arms are far too saggy. Perhaps, your forehead, that is way too big. Or maybe, your eyes they look way too small. Your skin, oh, it’s way too dark. Or maybe, your skin, it's way too pale.

Each time we curse our image, we curse the image of the little eyes who are looking at us. They say: Am I, mommy, am I good? Am I lovely?

The question is answered itself: "Of course not, look at my belly."

PART TWO

What happens if that little girl was you? What happens if the scene I played before you sounds too familiar to bear. Or maybe you don’t remember any of this to be true, and maybe just maybe, a deep self hate developed in you far deeper than you dare to go.

Have you ever been told that you bear the image of God? Have you ever wondered why that sentence never made you feel better? Me too. I heard it all before. I am a "image bearer" of God. I am a temple of God’s Spirit therefore I am valuable, worthy, etc...blah, blah, blah.

Yet, why do I still hold so much hate for myself? Why am I still addicted to the approval of man?

The reason is this: sometimes the circumstances that have happened to us can overshadow the reality of God’s truth. We have become so numb and accustomed to these ways of thinking that any other truth can't pierce through.

PART THREE

Satans objection is to distort the image of God. Think about it: from the very start of humanity satan made Eve question if God was really good. He is attempting to distort God’s image. He is attempting to distort who God really is.

So let’s get this straight: if satan’s objective is to distort God’s image. And by God’s breath we were made in the image of God. Wouldn’t it be fair to say satan’s second objective is to also distort the image of God’s people? Right.

Remember why satan fell from Heaven? He wanted to be “like God”, so if God then made humanity like Himself, it’s no surprise we are being attacked in our image.

Does anyone else feel like the moment they landed on this earth you have been your own worst enemy? You have heard thoughts or whispers telling you that you’re just not good enough, you don’t make the cut or you’re just not that great.

How about, “the world would be better if you were dead.” Or maybe the words “kill yourself” have been familiar too. I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry that you have heard those thoughts.

A friend once told me, if you hear thoughts speaking to you in third person, they aren’t your thoughts.

“You should end your life” or “you are better off dead” don’t really sound like natural thoughts, I mean don’t you speak to yourself in first person? ...”I want an apple” or “I'm tired”...Right?

Yes, satans tactic is to whisper anything that tears down, distorts or even kills God’s image. Including you.

The enemy’s plan is to make you hate yourself because hating yourself makes you wounded and unable to serve God faithfully because you don’t believe you’re worthy anyway.

PART FOUR

I write this to you today to say that God wants to take you deep into the roots of the pain to reveal the truth. If we could do it all on our own, I wouldn’t be writing this and you wouldn’t be reading it.

We need Jesus to overcome the curse of sin. We need Jesus to overcome the trauma and self hate that we face on this earth.

I don’t know if you have been told this but, Jesus is coming back for us soon. He is coming back for a church, a people, that love Him. He desperately wants to heal what is broken and mend you so that you can live with Him forever. Give Him yourself, all of it, all of you.

Now that you are starting to understand how the enemy has tried to destroy the beautiful image of who you are, you need to start uprooting the lies that have been placed there for far too long.

Think back to those lies you have heard and ask God to remove them. It's only Jesus that can uproot such evil lies that seek to hurt and wound who you are.

Create a sweet relationship with Jesus. Imagine if it took all those years to distort your image and make you hate yourself, what would happen if you spent the next months and years with God, who can erase that?

“Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; For I am God, and there is no other." Isaiah 45:22