Bashing Ourselves

My husband's been getting on my case lately about being hard on myself for, well . . . everything. Someone can always run further and faster, sing better, top me as a mother, be more fit than me, cook and clean better, be more articulate, have a prettier smile, or surpass me at . . . fill-in-the-blank.

"You need to stop that," he says, "Half the stuff doesn't matter and most of it isn't true. And who cares anyway? You never acknowledge the good stuff in you. It's not right."

Yeah . . .

I suspect you do the same thing, dismiss yourself and your good qualities thinking others do it better. I mean, really, we know who we are, don't we sisters? We may be better than we've ever been, but there's always someone who tops us. Am I right? Besides, isn't it humble to understand who you aren't?

Except bashing ourselves doesn't recognize God's beautiful creation, does it?

“People go abroad to wonder at the height of mountains, at the huge waves of the sea, at the long courses of the rivers, at the vast compasses of the ocean . . . . and they pass by themselves without even imagining.”

St. Augustine of Hippo

We are works of art, every bit as much as a spectacular sunset or newborn baby. We've been designed, not thrown together. We have purpose and meaning and BEAUTY. We're the only thing made in the image of God! Just as the owl that soothes me everyday with its gentle hooting has no idea he moves me, we may never understand how He uses us, His perfect creation, but He does. How dare we declare His work not good.

We wouldn't dream of criticizing a trickling stream or a toddler singing "Jesus Loves Me." We marvel at a full moon that does nothing but sit there, yet kick ourselves around for not performing to a certain level. We sigh at the summer breeze blowing through our hair, only doing what it was meant to do, yet miss the lesson for ourselves.

If we valued who we are, forgot about who we aren't, and do what we are designed to do, just like the rest of God's beautiful creation, would we bring Him more glory?

Genesis 1:31 says, "God saw all that he had made and it was very good." ALL He made, including man. And woman. And me. And YOU.

Perhaps my husband is right (ugh). It's time to start seeing myself the same way I see a clear, starry night or a glassy pond or a tiny infant fist. As perfect. And wondrous. And beautiful. Very good.

A work of art.

Can you see yourself as God's awesome creation?


Visit our hostess, Nina, at Mama's Little Treasures for more thoughts on this quote.