The importance of knowing who you are
You cannot truly love yourself, until you first find out who you are (in Christ), and you can’t love others until you first love yourself. You really can’t be thankful to God for who you are, until you know the person that God has really made in you (which is worthy to be thankful to God for!). You cannot love a mirage (somebody who you aren’t), and if you do, then you’re living in deception. If you are a blood-washed child of God, then you need to love yourself as such a person, and not see yourself as a shameful, guilt-ridden, ugly, no good for nothing piece of flesh.
To learn more about who you are in Christ and how God sees you, I highly recommend the teachings Who we REALLY are and How God sees us.
If we see ourselves as failures, we will live out the life of a failure, and feel like one in the process. Our thoughts and perceptions play a huge role in how we feel and believe. Properly perceiving yourself is a necessity element to your faith and relationship with God as well. Incorrect perceptions that are burned into our minds, are what we call strong holds, and God’s Word tells us to pull down strong holds, and cast down every thought and vain imagination that comes into our mind to the obedience to Christ:
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thoughtto the obedience of Christ.
2 Corinthians 10:3-5
This site has a lot to say about strong holds, how to recognize them, and how to tear them down. Some great teachings to start out with include What’s on your mind?, The power of your thoughts, and Identifying strongholds.
Knowing who you are in Christ is one of the single most important things that every Christian must do. It is a key to soar your faith, it will change the way you see life, yourself, your relationship with God, your relationships with others, and the world around you.
Blessings in Christ,
Robert