That’s a tough word to swallow- self-hatred.  I mean, who really thinks that they actually hate themselves.  Yet, for most of us, we spend a good portion of our day being unloving to ourselves. You know- telling ourselves what we are not good at, that we are fat, that person doesn’t approve of you, you will never be like him/her, and on and on!  It’s such a vicious cycle.  And most likely it’s been passed down through generations. (…)

I have been doing this study on listening to God.  It’s been really powerful stuff so far!  And I cannot wait to do more.  But this topic of self-hatred has really resonated with me.  Satan tempts us to believe that we are not valuable, not necessarily to do wrong things, but to lose that which we already have as believers- the value of God.  The enemy is smart and strategic.  He knows just where to attack us.  That’s why God tells us to be aware.  The enemy is on the prowl.  And when we have convinced ourselves that we are alone and no one is like us or on our side- we are just the perfect target.

An even scarier part for me is that I can be doing this to my kids.  Seriously, are they going to need therapy one day because of me?  I pray no! I cannot speak these things over them.  I cannot tell them that it’s okay to think that way or try to justify it.  I must teach them to renounce it.  I must teach them how to recognize the enemy’s work and how to defeat it.

When you reject yourself it mean you reject and cannot receive the blessings and benefits of being a part of God’s Kingdom.  And who doesn’t want to experience those blessings??  I do!  Self hatred is also denying everything God created us to be and actually seeing ourselves as Satan wants us to.  He wins if we allow it.  Self-hatred is a form of pride in that we believe what we think more than what God thinks.  It’s just dangerous.

So, today I encourage you to love yourself well.  Deny those thoughts.  Reject them!  Ask God who He says you are.  Ask who has He created you to be?  Also- look to others and see those things in them and encourage them in it!  We are created to be a community of believers, rejoicing in the Kingdom together.  There is power in His Kingdom. Don’t miss out on it by letting Satan rob you of it!