I Am All He Says I Am

BY: PEYTON JADE GOTTSCHALK

When I think of how I am supposed to love myself, I first think of commands in the Bible such as…

“Love your neighbor as yourself.” Matthew 19:19 and…“Do to others as you would have them do to you.” Luke 6:31

It’s so easy to read these passages and say to myself I get the message. I won’t do anything to others that I wouldn’t do to myself. My mom has been telling me this for as long as I can remember. Well, that and “if you don’t have anything nice to say don’t say anything at all.” But that’s a topic for another time.

To be honest with you, I don’t think this is the best standard. At least it isn’t the best mindset for me in this moment. If I were to treat others the way I treat myself, I wouldn’t be the nicest person. I am so hard on myself as I am sure most people can relate to. I don’t take compliments from others well and I am even more so challenged in the area of complimenting myself. It is so much harder for me to look inward than it is for me to look into the hearts of others.

I love telling people how wonderfully made they are. I’d even say I have more recently developed a sixth sense of seeing people through God’s eyes. To look at people and ask God to show me who they are growing into is one of my favorite pastimes.

When it comes to me, on the other hand, my main source of seeing God’s plan for me is through my boyfriend. He dedicates so much of his time calling out the good in me. He puts on God’s eyeglasses and sees me almost as clearly as my Father does.

So, what is the key to seeing myself in this same way? How do I alter my standards to improve my self-love to God’s standard, so that I may want to love others the way I love myself?

In a podcast with Oprah Winfrey, actress Amy Schummer talked about her secret to self-love and self-confidence. She said her father had told her over and over again how beautiful she was. He had told her she was a princess, that she was so loved, and he was in awe of her. He filled her up with a positive definition of who she was — and is. He told her what her worth was from day one.

This idea has stuck with me ever since I listened to Amy speak on the topic.

I can learn to better love myself through the ultimate gift my Father has given me — the Bible.  With the true words of who my Father says I am filling my heart, flowing from my mouth and overwhelming my mind, I cannot go wrong. From the time God breathed me into existence, He has said over and over again how beautiful I am. He has been in awe of me every day of my life. He sets the definition of who I am.

From now on, I choose to love myself the way my Father loves me. And, in turn, love others as I love myself.

Peyton is a freelance journalist who strides through every day with a little coffee and a lot of Jesus. If she’s not scribbling away in a journal at a corner café she is probably watercolor painting, baking pastries or exploring new hobbies.