I recently listened to a podcast with Allie Beth Stuckey and saw that she's recently written a book, "You're Not Enough (And That's Okay): Escaping the Toxic Culture of Self-Love." I thought it would be a helpful read since I'm teaching a series on "Conforming to His Image in A Self-Imaged World," so I ordered the book, received it today, and settled in for a comfy read this evening.
Not very far in, she asks the question--"Is your quest to love yourself more actually making yourself miserable?" She gives this answer:
"The self can't be both our problem and our solution. If the self is the source of our depression or despair or insecurity or fear, it can't also be the source of our ultimate fulfillment. That means loving ourselves more doesn't satiate us. We need something else--something bigger. Simply, we need Jesus.
"There's a reason Jesus describes himself as Living Water and Bread of Life: he satisfies. The searching for peace and for purpose stops in him alone. He created us: therefore only he can tell us who we are and why we're here."
In her book Allie discusses 5 myths of self-love:
- You are Enough
- You Determine Your Truth
- You're Perfect the Way You Are
- You're Entitled to Your Dreams
- You Can't Love Others Until You Love Yourself
The inside cover states, "This book isn't about battling your not-enoughness. It's about embracing it." It looks like this book may be filled with some good biblical counsel!
We do need to see ourselves as God sees us and love ourselves correctly. But not in a self-love sort of way. There is a prerequisite. As Jesus said, we must first love God with all our heart, all our soul, all our strength, and all our mind (Luke 10:27). And then we're able to understand who we are in Christ and love who we are in Him.
Another book that is filled with biblical counsel is Jim Berg's book, God is More Than Enough. I read that one years ago, and God used it mightily in my life.
Painting--Bessie Potter at Her Dressing Table
Robert William Vonnoh, 1858-1933
Public Domain, Wiki Gallery
