Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary. Isaiah 40:31
Satan loves to distort the truth and convince you to believe it! From the moment you are born, he works overtime to try to convince you that you are unloved, unwanted, insignificant, fat, ugly, crazy, or worthless! He wants your self-image distorted. WHY? Because if you have a poor self-image, you’ll never be confident enough to do what God put you on this earth to do.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, approximately 1 in 4 Americans are diagnosed each year with a psychological disorder, the majority for which low self-esteem and a poor self-image are underlying factors.
The truth is that once you’ve accepted a poor identity – once that poor self-image is accepted – you make choices that support your beliefs about yourself. Your self-image can be seen in the way you dress, the way you talk about yourself, the relationships you choose, your career, your relationship with God…every area of your life is affected by your self-image.
You behave in a manner consistent with how you see yourself.
When Victor Seribriakoff was fifteen, his teachers told him he would never finish school and that he should drop out and learn a trade. He took the advice and for the next 17 years he did a variety of odd jobs. He had been told he was stupid, and for 17 years he was on a downward spiral. An amazing transformation happen when he was at the age of 32 when an evaluation revealed that he was a genius with an IQ of 161.
Guess what? That’s right, he started acting like a genius. Since that time he has written books, secured a number of patents and became a successful businessman. Perhaps the most significant event for the former school dropout was his election as chairman of the International Mensa Society. The Mensa Society has only one membership qualification, a minimum IQ of 140.
The starting point for both success and happiness is a healthy self-image. It affects every aspect of human behavior: the ability to learn, the capacity to grow and change, the choice of friends, mates and careers. Strong self-image is the best possible preparation for success in life!