An Almighty Alternative

"...hear his voice..."

I came across a couple paragraphs on self-image while I was clearing out some files while preparing for the new school year. Somewhere along the line, someone thought I would be interested in the content. I was, and so now I pass some of it along to you. (Unfortunately, there was no source attached to the paragraphs.)

“The beliefs we have about ourselves were formed in the past. All of our experiences, successes, failures, embarrassments, victories, and relationships with others have helped shape our self-images. Once this image is planted in our brains, we see it as being completely true. We don’t ask ourselves whether our self-image is false or not. We accept it as the absolute truth without asking questions.

Each of us, from the beginning of childhood, weaves a fine web of self-images that grows from our ideas, our parent’s comments to us, and the comment of our teachers and friends. These self-images begin as flimsy cobwebs that become stronger over time, like steel cables. They can support us and make us strong, or they can weigh us down like a ball and chain. All self-images can be changed though. The power of suggestion can have a very strong effect on us. Remember: It’s not what you are that holds you back; it’s what you think you are.”

Our past experiences contribute to our collective self-perception (how we view ourselves). Included in this collection is a narrative of voices that have judged us, criticized us, coddled us, praised us, limited us, rejected us, encouraged us, and loved us. This combined voice continues to speak to us subtly but strongly, often affecting how we live our life and the decisions we make. Someone whose compiled voice tells them they are weak and insignificant will live very differently than someone who lives under the influence of a voice telling them that they are capable and strong. I see these voices at play in the lives of my students and friends constantly.

I see it in my own life.

I often wonder about what my voice adds to people’s collective self-perception. Knowing that the tongue has both the power to give life and destroy it, shouldn’t we be more aware of the significance of our contribution to people’s lives? Every day, we have the opportunity to add life through positive affirmation and hopeful, constructive dialogue. The augmentation of our voice can tilt the scale from self-doubt to self-confidence, self-hatred to self-respect, indifference to motivation.

At some point, we all need the Voice of God and His truth about us interjected into our lives to correct the slanted inaccuracies of a very vocal world. Knowing the truth of our identity as His beloved has a way of erasing the toll taken on us by those who would mislead us about who we really are. It reminds us to participate in the love of God and offer others an almighty alternative to what they believe about themselves.

The challenge for us is to move beyond our neutral silence and engage the neighbor, the student, the friend, the spouse in meaningful conversation, moving beyond shallow-sounding clichés and into relevant relationship. Our aim shouldn’t be to pamper people with bluffing accolades but to simply bring a little life, a little hope.

A small rudder can turn a big ship.