I wasn’t thinking much of it. A little degrading statement here, a little degrading statement there:
“I’m just such a pig right now.”
“I can be so stupid.”
“I feel so fat.”
“My face is so ugly.”
And all these statements are usually followed by a laugh and a compliment for the person I’m talking to because for some reason, we think that makes things better.
Because for some reason, we have told ourselves that self-deprecation is holy.
We tell ourselves that it keeps us humble - it keeps us from thinking too highly of ourselves (because that would be pride, that would be rude), how dare we ever compliment ourselves, speak kindly to ourselves -
Self-deprecation is not holy. Putting yourself down is not holy.
My friends, there is a vast difference between humility and low self-esteem. Humility is knowing your true worth and being so beautifully settled in who you are and how much you are valued that you don’t have the time or energy to compare yourself to others or think that you are somehow better than someone else.
Low self-esteem, on the other hand, is not knowing your true worth. It is not knowing your true value, so you spend time and effort either trying to build yourself up superficially, or by tearing others down (hence self-arrogance, false confidence), and somewhere in between the struggle of trying to build yourself up and tear other people down self-deprecation creeps in, as if to remind us not to like ourselves too much, don’t appear too prideful now -
Friend, talking yourself down isn’t holy. Jesus didn’t die for you so that you could call yourself fat, ugly, not talented, not creative -
Jesus thinks the world of you, beloved. When He sees you, He only sees perfection.
Today, I pray you see it too.
Remember, you are deeply loved.
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