God Nuggets Blog

The world is full of God's creatures, each having infinite value because it is created by an infinite God. Every creature, therefore, deserves love and care and respect. Furthermore, we are called to operate in the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). We are to employ all of these qualities when we relate to God's creation and that does not exclude ourselves!

Some Christians feel that treating themselves with love and respect is selfish and somehow wrong. Nothing could be further from God's truth. We do not operate in the gifts of the Spirit in most ways, and then cut them off completely with ourselves. No! Treat yourself with gentleness and kindness. Be as patient with yourself as you are with others. Love your neighbor, to be sure, but don't exclude yourself.

Blessings,

Come visit us at warrenfamilylife.com

I used to be a real people pleaser. At almost 50, I'm largely over that, but a residue remains. When it rears its ugly head, I have a weapon now that gives me great comfort. It's Romans 8:33-34. The last part of v. 33 and the first part of v.34 read:


In other words, God, the Creator of the universe, justifies me--declares me innocent and acceptable by the blood of Christ. So what is the opinion of a mere mortal? That opinion is a puff of steam--dust--even if I am the one condemning myself! God accepts me; who is he that condemns!

So when someone disapproves of me, I say over and over to myself, "God is the one who justifies. Who is he that condemns? ... God is the one who justifies. Who is he that condemns?" And it comforts me. Then, satisfied with my Creator's approval, I turn the situation over to Him.

Blessings,

Come visit us at warrenfamilylife.com

One of the great truths of Christianity is that the blood of Jesus covers our sin. We are forgiven, and when God looks down on us He sees, not our sin, but the blood of His Son:

Job 14:17
My offenses will be sealed up in a bag; you will cover over my sin.

Psalm 32:1
Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.

Psalm 85:2
You forgave the iniquity of your people and covered all their sins.

In years past, I was grateful for this covering, but my misunderstanding of it gave me a sense of separation from God and made me feel like a filthy worm merely disguised by the Blood. Then God showed me there was more. I was no longer just a "sinner saved by grace." His blood doesn't only cover our sin, it cleanses us.

Psalm 51:7
Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

Jeremiah 33:8
I will cleanse them from all the sin they have committed against me and will forgive all their sins of rebellion against me.

Ezekiel 36:25
I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols.

Zechariah 13:1
On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity. [That fountain is the blood of Christ.]

John 15:3
You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.

1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Our sins are not just covered, they have been washed away by the blood of Christ! We are no longer "bad" and "wrong." We are new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17), imperishable (1 Peter 1:23), created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 4:24). The sacrifice of Jesus (received by faith) has made us good, likable people. (In our new, redeemed nature we are good [washed clean]. We are still responsible for our sin, but not identified by it, see The Two Yous.)

The foundation of self-esteem is first that we are created by God, second that we are loved by God, and third that we are made good in the truest part of ourselves by God. Don't disagree with what God thinks about you! Learn to like the new you!

Blessings,

Come visit us at warrenfamilylife.com
PHOTO: Baby Mine Store

I like to think of humankind as a stained glass window. In the dark the window is colorless, but in the sun, the same light shines through each piece uniquely revealing God's glory.

What color and shape are you? No two pieces are identical. God has created you to reflect His glory in a way that only you can! Embrace your differentness as a unique way for God to express Himself.

Some people are always trying to make themselves nothing. This is a misunderstanding of Scripture. There is a self that we must die to (the sin nature) but there is a self that we are called to put on and live out of (Ephesians 4:22-24). The new nature is our most true identity (Romans 7:17; Romans 7:22; Romans 7:25). Sanctification is learning to move toward and live out of the "real you." God wants to shine through your special shape and color. Allow Him to do it!

Blessings,

Come visit us at warrenfamilylife.com

"Love your neighbor as yourself" (Galatians 5:14). "As yourself." This may not command self-love, but it certainly makes it a prerequisite for loving others. If you called another person by the names you call yourself would he or she be a moron? idiot? screw-up? loser? Would God want you to love someone else as you love yourself?

We are creatures of infinite value because we are created by an infinite God. To disrespect ourselves is to disagree with God Almighty. If we do that, we can't fulfill God's most important command to love God and others.

What if we don't have self-esteem; where do we begin? We begin by receiving the love of God. "We love because He first loved us" (1 John 4:19). I would suggest getting a highlighter that won't bleed through thin Bible pages and highlighting every Scripture that makes you feel loved by God in a special color. The Psalms are a good place to start. Go over these Scriptures (even commit some of them to memory) until they begin to seep from your head into your heart. (On bad days, only read that color.) Just as we depend on the Holy Spirit to help live out God's word, we can depend on Him to help us receive the love of God.

It starts with God's love and spreads out like a triangle to ourselves and others. Each feeds into the other in balance. As we grow in the love of ourselves, we love God more and others more. As we love God more, we love ourselves and others in increasing measure. And as we love others, we grow in the love of God and ourselves. No part of the triangle can be neglected for love to be complete in our lives.

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself" (Matthew 22:37-39).

Blessings,

Come visit us at warrenfamilylife.com

People often say to me, "You have a heart of gold, BUT ..." In fact, someone very dear to me said that recently and it just took the wind out of my sails.

You see, I'm not a success by the world's standards. I'm hopelessly absent-minded. I tend to under-function. Prone to depression, I procrastinate, let dust accumulate until you can see it across the room, live with clutter, and expectantly open the empty refrigerator only to be reminded that Mary Poppins doesn't live here.

However, I humbly confess that if I were to die today and stand before God, I would not be ashamed. Don't get me wrong; I have some salient shortcomings that I will be accountable for. But I love God with all my heart, soul, mind and strength, and I love people, encourage the hurting, and accept others unconditionally, right where they are. It doesn't excuse my sins and flaws. But, only because of the blood of Christ, it is enough for God (Matthew 22:37-39; Hebrews 10:12).

Have you come short of other people's standards of success for you?
Have you succeeded in ways that even you may have discounted, but deep down, you are pleased? Really, stop for a minute and ponder because it's important.

... stop here and think ...

Now give yourself credit for something never appreciated before. Write it down.Focus on your strengths regardless of others' opinions, and press forward with what is important in the deepest part of yourself. Just between you and God, are you a success? And if you're not, Don't ask, "What do I want?" but rather "What do I ultimately want?" By that I mean, if you look down the road of your life, 5 years... 10... or 50... what do you desire for it to look like and what is it going to take today to get there?

Be long-sighted with your desires, honest to the core with just you and God, and you won't go far wrong.

With love,

www.warrenfamilylife.com

You will lose your baby teeth;
At times you'll lose your faith in Me.
You will lose a lot of things,
But you cannot lose my love.

You may lose your appetite,
Your guiding sense of wrong and right,
You may lose your will to fight,
But you cannot lose my love.

You will lose your confidence,
In times of trial your common sense,
You may lose your innocence,
But you cannot lose my love.

Many things can be misplaced,
Your very memories be erased,
No matter what the time or space,
You cannot lose my love.

You cannot lose...
You cannot lose...
You cannot lose my love.

This is my one of my favorite songs by Sara Groves from her album, "All Right Here." I pray it is a blessing to you. (MP3 available at Amazon.com)

Peace to you,

Cyndi Warren
Come visit us at www.warrenfamilylife.com

As a reminder of this, it has helped me to put to memory a tip from Search for Significance, by Robert McGee:

"I am deeply loved,
completely forgiven,
fully pleasing,
totally accepted by God,
and absolutely complete in Christ."

Stop for a moment, and read that out loud if you are able. I wrote these words on index cards and put one on my bathroom mirror, another on my dashboard, and another in my wallet. (This is random, but you might put the same words with your mate's name on the mirror as well. It is easy to forget that our mates are creatures of infinite value and not our enemies!)

If you don't know in your gut (not just because "the Bible tells me so") but in your heart, emotions, and every fiber of your being that God loves you completely, then it is essential to keep the truth running through your mind until it sinks down into your heart ... for Satan is the "father of lies." If we keep our minds saturated with Truth, the evil one cannot touch us.

It is not enough to read this little series of blogs once and have victory over self esteem. We must have the weapons of truth secure in the arsenal of our minds--truth that we can access in those times when life changes in an instant.

The Search for Significance workbook is excellent for just that. As you work through the exercises, your self-esteem gradually becomes solidified, because it is based on the truth and the truth, my friend, will set you free.


Peace to you,

warrenfamilylife.com

When I draw life and meaning from any source other than my belovedness, I am spiritually dead. ... "Who am I?" asked Merton, and he responded, "I am one loved by Christ." This is the foundation of [true self-esteem].

The indispensable condition for developing and maintaining the awareness of our belovedness is time alone with God. In solitude we tune out the nay-saying whispers of our worthlessness and sink down into the mystsery of our true self [the Beloved].

Our longing to know who we really are [is found] in God's relentless tenderness for us. ... Do you honestly believe that God loves you, not just loves you because theologically God has to love you? If you could answer with gut-level honesty, "Oh, yes, my Abba is very fond of me," you would experience a serene compassion for yourself that approximates the meaning of tenderness.

The first time I read this, I trembled inside. The words sounded too good to be true. It took six months, sick and flat on my back, of reading that book over and over and over for the knowledge that God loves me to sink down from my head into my heart. I pray that something in this post will touch you at your deepest point of need and speak God's love into your very being.

Blessings,

www.warrenfamilylife.com