Think Enough of Yourself

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Our healing group began a foray for hope by reading the first week of Healing from Codependency. The week’s topic was to think enough of ourselves. I struggled with those words. Think enough of yourself. 

We see the affirmation "I am enough." I’ve struggled with that as well. Am I? Do I even need to be? Isn’t God enough? I read a book about having a narcissistic parent titled “Will I ever be enough?” The answer to that is, unfortunately, no. The hope there is in a compassionate understanding of the brokenness and inability to connect in a meaningful way for this other person. The healing comes when you realize that you never have to be enough for them. You can stop chasing a moving goal post. We heal with the understanding that God has deemed us just right and He declares it right where we are in our story. There’s rest in that. 

Thinking enough of myself brought tears to my eyes. They were grateful. I can clearly remember the myriad of voices that declared it not so throughout my life. Thinking enough of ourselves defies those voices and seeks hope, help, and care. Thinking enough sees the “you" that is created in the image of God as fully able to bring forth beauty into this world. The thing about bringing beauty from ashes is that somewhere, something had to burn down. Sometimes, the thing that needs to burn is our own thought system towards ourselves. If it doesn’t align with honest to goodness truth, I invite you to light it up. Lies often try to shadow our greatest gifts so pay attention to where criticism pops up. 

This isn’t an exercise into thinking of yourself as more or in some sort of position of power. We are simply trying to view ourselves rightly. We do that by realizing our deep need and our profound capacity. We were created by God to do and be an abundance of things. We are also created to ask Him for everything we need. Seeing yourself rightly is when you stop putting yourself behind, or in front of, others in the line up. This is where you see that we are all created to radiate hope and healing. You also can see how you must receive these things from God to give them away. See yourself as able and capable and enough. You are deeply loved by God and held in great esteem.

Think enough of yourself and tell God how you feel and what you need. 

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Steph Cherry | thebohotable.org















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