Identity And Self-Image

So Let’s come to some insight on how to see ourselves as God does, starting with awareness of three basic needs common to all of us.  These needs may adjust and morph as we mature, but they don’t go away.  The first is identity.  We all need a sense of self.  Identity is who you see when you look in the mirror.  Identity includes the way you process and think, the way you react to life, the things that you hold important and how you express your feelings.  Part of your identity is in your “wiring” or personality.  We are born with some combination of the four basic personalities, which I will label as lion, eagle, man and ox (Lance Wallnau).  A “lion” is fast paced and has a drive to get results.  An “eagle” is slow paced and gets up in the morning to get their task list perfectly completed at their own pace.  The “man” personality is a fast paced, people-person whose identity includes relating with others.  The “ox” person is slow paced and finds identity in facilitating others.  The way we view relationships and the way we invest in relationships are all part of our identity.  Since our identity is one side of a coin and self-image is the other, a healthy sense of identity yields a healthy self-image.

(This is the fourth excerpt from Kathy’s article “Seeing Us The Way God Sees Us” which was published in SEEC Magazine. Excerpts will be posted Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Previous excerpts may be read by scrolling down this page.)