We may become discouraged by our physical “imperfections.” We may feel we are too tall or too short, too fat or too thin. We may not like our shape or proportions, the color of our hair or eyes, or skin. This list could go on and on if we considered every aspect of our physical make-up that we can become discouraged with.
We can also become discouraged by a lack of natural abilities, talents, or mental ability. We wish we could do something we aren’t capable of doing. We would like to be more adapt at sports. We would like to be more creative or artistic. We wish we could do carpentry or mechanical repairs. We wish we were smarter, able to learn quicker, read quicker and retain more. Again, the list could go on and on.
Then, there are more significant physical limitations & weaknesses that some of us experience. These are usually linked to illnesses & handicaps. Some suffer from nagging allergies, arthritis, asthma, high blood pressure, diabetes, or other physical illness that limits their function. For others it is more severe challenges like cancer, spina bifida, paralysis, Crohn's disease, or a host of other illnesses.
Sometimes, we can become discouraged with ourselves because of things that are really only perceived or partially real but exaggerated. We may get down on ourselves and become discouraged because we see ourselves in a way that no one around us sees. A classic example is the woman who always believes she needs to loose a few pounds even when everyone else thinks she doesn’t. Many times we become discouraged over things that just don’t matter at all!
But, we can also become discouraged with ourselves and our situation in life because of some very real physical problems. I don’t want to minimize the reality of genuine physical problems. They are real, they are difficult to deal with. But there is hope. There is a remedy for discouragement.
How to deal with it? How do we get victory over discouragement with ourselves? I have found three biblical steps that can get us moving toward victory over discouragement with ourselves. First, Accept the Skin You’re In. Second, Pursue True Value. Third, Accept Help.
To get started toward victory, consider David's understanding of how God created us and His plan for us:
You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous-- how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can't even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me! (Psalm 139:13-18 NLT)Next: (2) Accept the Skin You're In
