The successful life is not about loving oneself or hating oneself. It’s about forgetting oneself. We can forget about ourselves only when we come to a place where we don’t care what others think and we don’t care about what we think. As long as our identity and worth is tied to what I think about myself or what others think I will never flourish. I will always be overinflated or under inflated. The way through the mess that is our ego is to be come convinced that the ultimate verdict of my life is not tied to others opinion of me or even my own opinion but rather Gods opinion of me.
The sheer beauty of Christianity shines on this point above all. In every other religion the verdict for my life only comes after my performance, so my self worth is still tied to what I do, only the stakes are much higher! Thanks to Jesus, the verdict of my life is in before the performance. The pressure is off, because of Jesus I am a loved and cherished by God. Proving my worth is no longer part of the equation of life. I am free. Criticism, self doubt, regret, and performance anxiety – all of these paralyzing realities connected to my ego are cut off. I can breathe, I can relax, I can love. This is so liberating.
This tiny little 46 page book is an absolute gem.
Whether or not you follow Jesus this book is a worthy read.
