As quoted from wikipedia “ Dignity is the right of a person to be valued and respected for their own sake, and to be treated ethically.“
The topic of this post came to me because of a couple of reasons. One, I’ve been learning a lot about the topic of God given dignity in the last several months as part of my own personal journey to continue to improve some areas of my life that needed a little polishing… or maybe more than just a little shine… we could probably call it an entire rehab project that started with a deep clean, then as some of the mud and yuck were removed, we found there needed to be a little bit more rehab on that project than just the deep clean. LOL… It has not been much of a fun journey, this rehab project hasn’t been. It’s been ugly, it’s been messy, it’s been long, it’s been exhausting, it’s been hurtful. But, it’s been worth it.
So worth every single tear, every single realization about myself, about certain relationships in my life, it’s been worth all of it. It’s helped me to reevaluate what is important to me. What I want in my life and what I don’t want in my life. It’s helped me to understand the depths of some areas that were triggers for me and why they were. It’s helped me to work through some of those areas of my life that were truly what some of us know as strongholds in my life. Areas that I’ve been struggling with for so many years of my life, so many. No, they are not perfect today but my life has taken a 180 from where it was 6 months ago. I couldn’t be more grateful. I am setting boundaries with people, and the more and more I do that, the less guilty I feel about it. At first, I would feel so guilty for not answering a phone call or for not attending this or that. But the more I practice setting boundaries, the easier it is and the more confident I feel about doing it. A huge one is realizing that I don’t have to engage in conversations or even arguments that I don’t want to be part of. I can actually keep my opinion to myself, I can actually manage my own emotions like an adult should and respond in a calm and polite manner with a simple comment to say, that’s okay, or that’s good… and then I can just walk away and go on about my day. I don’t even have to think about the circumstance, conversation, etc, ever again. I can just let it go because that is what is best for me.
The refreshing part of all of it, is that for the past month, maybe even two, I can actually sleep through the night. I can actually go to sleep without mulling over the what if‘s of a conversation. When we use the boundaries and remove ourselves from environments, the drama, the plate that is way too full… there is peace. And man, is peace a beautiful thing. I really can’t say enough about it. LOL.
The second reason the idea came to me to write about God given dignity is because I have been watching motivational type videos and reading other blogs about these things that I’ve been processing through just like so many other people in the world. In reading and watching some of these other influencers, I see there is this abundance of content that is really promoting “self-love” and ”universe”, these folks are almost what I would classify as extreme on their viewpoints. Then I am also seeing the opposite, some other influencers that are extreme on their side of the isle and literally saying as humans we are not worthy and we are not enough, period. Now, I think, I hope, that person meant it differently than how it actually came across. I totally get and agree, that I cannot get to Heaven without accepting Jesus as my Savior. That I believe 100% with all that is within me. So, in that sense, I can understand someone saying a comment something like, without salvation through Jesus we cannot work or earn our own way to Heaven. That is not what was said but I am hoping that is what was meant. Otherwise, this person is just as wrong as the person on the extreme opposite side.
What I know is that we are made in God’s image. He knew us and planned for each and everyone of us to be born in our exact time to our exact families in our exact lives. God allowed His one and only Son to come to earth to suffer and die for us so that we could have an opportunity to go to Heaven when we die.
I am worthy and I am enough because of the above sentences even before we get into the scriptures that also talk about honoring and respecting ourselves and one another. Having a healthy appropriately placed love, respect, honor, gratitude, for ourselves through Jesus and God is not wrong. It is NOT wrong. Man, did the Christians of this world forget that we are precious in His sight? There is a place, a biblical place, for appropriate worth and love for ourselves. More to come….
Much Love ♥️
Michelle
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Resource Recommendations:
- Shine: Stepping into the role you were made for by Allison Allen
- Journey to A New Beginning After Loss by Scott Reall
- NIV Life Application Study Bible
- Tyndale NLT Girls Life Application Study Bible
- Breaking Free by Beth Moore
- Entrusted by Beth Moore
- Fervent by Priscilla Shirer
- The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams
- How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
- Rediscovering Israel by Kristi McLelland
- Life After Life by Raymond Moody