“You’ll never do anything right!
“I hate you!
Ever heard these statements? Ever been at the end of them?
How about this… ever say these statements… TO YOURSELF????
We’ve all been made more aware of the damaging bullying epidemic going on lately. There once was a time when bullying was restricted to school playgrounds. No more. Now we have cyber-bullying, thanks to the internet. The painful stakes just got higher.
But I want to focus briefly on the self-bullying we put ourselves through. Yep, no one can beat us up better than ourselves, huh? Somehow, whether through the distortion of abuse or low self-worth, we can get it into our noggins that it’s acceptable to put ourselves down, mistreat, call ourselves negative names and become our own worst bully.
I know I did my share of this with eating disorder behavior. I was always “too stupid,” “too disgusting,” “too worthless,” and yes, of course, “too fat.” I only saw the worst, never the best. I needed to punish myself and suffer, simply because I was myself.
You out there may have never dealt with bullying via eating disorder, but is there some other avenue you use instead? What do you use against yourself to tear yourself down?
God has created us for love, relationship and purpose. Bullying ourselves never fulfills any of that. And when we hurt ourselves, it hurts God more than we could ever understand. You and I are “good” (Genesis 1:27). God made a point to call us that, to name us that. Who are we, then, to act contrary to that Truth?
In Christianity, we’re frequently told to love our neighbor; we sorely miss this mark all the time. But catch Matthew 22:37-9. It’s that second one we get hung up on, isn’t it? If we can only hate, punish and bully ourselves, how could we ever successfully love and relate to others, let alone, God?
“Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
Matthew 22:37-39
We’re created in God’s Image (Genesis 1:26-27), which is Love (1 John 4: 8). Therefore, we need to stop fighting our inherent image and nature. It does no good to bully anyone, including ourselves. I love this quote by the great Nelson Mandela:
“Your playing small does not serve anyone.”
Each time you tear another or yourself down, you bully.
Each time you determine anyone else’s life or your own life to be a small existence, you bully.
Each time you call a person or yourself a demeaning, negative name, you bully.
And each time this happens, God is hurt by it. Why?
Because His Love is intense and consuming concerning us.
“Since you were precious in my sight… I have loved you…”
Isaiah 43:4
He took great thought into creating us to be in a love relationship with Him.
“For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb.”
Psalm 139:13
“I have chosen you and have not cast you away.”
Isaiah 41:9
When we spend time hating others and ourselves, that relationship becomes fractured by the damaging, faulty mindset of being worthless in one facet or another. God has determined we’re worth MUCH, not worth LESS!!!
Again…
“Since you were precious in my sight… I have loved you…”
Isaiah 43:4
“For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb.”
Psalm 139:13
“I have chosen you and have not cast you away.”
Isaiah 41:9
Don’t bully one of God’s children; you’re included in that group. Remember, even when you are kind to another, if you beat yourself up, that is still bullying behavior- not of God. God’s thoughts toward us are always of love, compassion and kindness.
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
Jeremiah 29:11
Try that, yes of course, with others. But start first with yourself! Copyright © 2012 by Sheryle Cruse
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