Lake Edge United Church of Christ

For Our Minds and Souls: “Why is everyone here so happy except me?” “Because they have learned to see goodness and beauty everywhere,” said the Master. “Why don’t I see goodness and beauty everywhere?” “Because you cannot see outside of you what you fail to see inside.” – Anthony de Mello, One Minute Wisdom

Self-respect is absolutely necessary if we want to savor the goodness in this life. Why do we allow ourselves to be reticent about our own gifts, our own worth? Why does it feel natural to praise others, and criticize oneself? I believe that nurturing healthy self-respect is a spiritual responsibility; an important part of our relationship with God.

What we must remember: We are made in God’s image. We have inherent worth. We are the beloved creation of God. We have been blessed with gifts that are uniquely ours. Our life’s story is a valuable one, to be told with a grateful heart.

What else we must remember: We are imperfect. We are human. We will make mistakes, display poor judgment, disappoint or hurt others, be self-serving… in essence, be human. However, those all-too-human moments must not overshadow all the good things we routinely do, or the value we have as children of God We all have a tendency to give more credence to negative thoughts then to positive ones; frequently accepting criticism without question (from others, as well as ourselves). Of course, it is important to reflect on our mistakes and shortcomings, but self-respect demands that we discern and learn without losing perspective.

What we need to remember now: To be realistic, to learn from our mistakes and then let them go – they do not define us. To see a red flag when negative thoughts begin; then to honestly examine those thoughts within recognition of our God-given goodness. God cares for us with kindness and understanding, we are meant to respond to ourselves in the same way.

In the weeks ahead, may we remember to be thankful; grateful to God for the person we are. Perhaps this old saying will be helpful: “Who we are is God’s gift to us, who we become is our gift to God.” May our eyes be open to the goodness within, shaping a healthy respect so that we may truly see the “goodness and beauty everywhere.”