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lovingme-IamWorthy

Showing ourselves love can be difficult.

The guilt that comes from taking a moment can be paralyzing.

Surely there are more pressing needs than say, oh, getting a pedicure or a massage right?

Anybody that knows me, knows I love a good pedicure. I pay extra so I can have 50 minutes of foot pampering complete with hot stone massage and paraffin wax. And I absolutely love my salon. Relaxation music plays, the atmosphere is quiet and peaceful and no TV! They offer a lavender scented heated shoulder pad to add to your comfort and I love them for this!

As much as I enjoyed my pedicures, I was under a lot of stress like most folk and my body ached.

What I needed was a massage but somehow in my mind that was too decadent. Way too luxurious.

I told myself a hot shower would fix it. I couldn’t afford a massage is what I told myself. Well, a pedicure and a half and I would have had my massage money.

But my throwed-off thinking said a massage was too much and I believed my throwed- off thinking.

As my feet soaked in fragrant warm water the rest of me ached.

So I made an appointment and canceled it.

I talked myself out of it but I was still hurting.

I made another appointment.

Yep, canceled that one too.

I kept telling myself that a massage was too much.

Then I wondered if judgement would be cast since I wasn’t the smallest flower in the bunch?

I didn’t want to be judged.

I talked myself out of it. I told myself it was too far and who would drive that far for a massage.

Then came the deal I couldn’t refuse.

I made the appointment and then made it difficult and fiscally unsound for me to cancel.

The beautiful soul with anointed hands massaged the pain away. The pain in my heart melted too.

In that moment, that throwed-off thinking was exposed as nothing but a lie.

The thoughts that said I wasn’t worthy of such pampering, care and attention knew I was and worked pretty hard to keep me from healing that was rightfully mine.

That day was the beginning of my own radical self-care.

It was the day I began to love myself and silence the noise that said I wasn’t worthy.

Truth is I am and so are you.

So what have you been withholding from yourself?

[tweet_box]What expression of love are you denying yourself?[/tweet_box]

#ThisWomanKnows you are definitely worthy.

Loving yourself silently and inwardly screams to the world, I AM WORTHY.

Watch what opens to you and for you when you walk in this knowledge and confidence.

#ThisWomanKnows

2 Comments

  • KMac says:

    NO. Absolutely NO. The Bible teaches that we are worthy through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. We don’t need massages and we don’t need to brainwash ourselves into thinking that we “deserve” anything. We are sinners saved by grace that deserved hell. Jesus said in Philippians 2 that we are to esteem others as BETTER than ourselves. There is no self-esteem in the Bible, and it is a horrific teaching that has infiltrated the church. You want to feel worthy? Get out and serve in the name of Jesus. Work in a food closet. Make a prayer shawl or lap blanket for someone. Take your neighbor out to lunch. Volunteer at a crisis pregnancy center. Make your husband breakfast without him asking. THEN you will feel worthy. Why? Because that’s what Christians do…emulate Jesus by serving others. You will experience joy and peace and contentment in a way that you never have before. If you want a massage, then get a massage. Freaking out over it like this article states just fosters a guilt complex. Jesus doesn’t tell us we can’t get a pedicure or a massage. If you can’t afford it, then yes, it is an extravagance. Ask for a massage for a birthday or Christmas present. Be wise with the money God has provided for you. Study God’s word and see what He has for you. He will bless you in ways you never imagined when you have a servant’s attitude and aren’t always looking for ways to indulge yourself. Study the Gospels and you will see that Jesus was always a servant, and that’s what He wants us to be.

    • SheKnows says:

      KMac,

      Thank you for taking the time to respond to my post. As a former senior ministry leader and life-long follower of Christ I respectfully disagree and it’s wonderful that as Christians we can do that! Doesn’t change my love for you as a fellow believer not one bit. Here’s why I disagree. First, this entire blog series has to do with loving ourselves as Jesus clearly commands. He said to love our neighbors as ourselves. I do not believe this was some of the cuff remark. You can catch up on my very first post by following this link. https://thiswomanknows.com/struggle-loving-ourselves/. Yes we are to esteem others better than ourselves but we are also more than conquerors through Christ, He always causes us to triumph and Paul tells us that we have to undo some throwed-off thinking/stinking thinking and be renewed by a transformed mind. Let me tell you, a believer who does not know who they are, not confident in who Christ called them to be is not living up to their full potential in Christ. And you make quite a few assumptions without knowing me. I’m a volunteer at a safe house for young women who have been rescued from sex trafficking. My husband gets his lunch made for work every work day. I fear you missed the whole point of this article. It’s about taking care of ourselves because women especially have a tendency to run them selves ragged in the name of the Lord. Jesus took a break and He’s our perfect example. It’s a mindset this post address. Money wasn’t an issue. It had everything to do with how we think about ourselves and treat ourselves. And if some of us treat our neighbors how we treat ourselves…our neighbors are in big trouble. Lovingly….Lisa

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