Learning to Nurture

As children, we often adopt shame that is related to events, which are not our choice or our fault. We learn shame from our parents, if they were raised in a shame-based family. 

We also accept shame if our parent wants to prevent pride in us, so they belittle our efforts to keep us humble. Another occasion is when our parents have legitimate shame, so we learn shame-based behavior from their example.

When our parents are wounded, they develop dysfunctional methods of responding to life. They unintentionally injure us and teach us codependent methods of living. 

Then we learn to perpetuate the wounding in our own life and in the lives of our children and other relationships. We master and then teach our children how to react to, cope with and adapt to life around the consequences of these past wounds.

Healing from the pain of our past comes when our Inner Parent learns to nurture our Inner Child. We start accepting our idiosyncrasies, and we give our children and other relationships the room to develop their individual personality, goals and habits. 

We set boundaries with people who wound us, and we lay aside the habit of shaming. We love unconditionally.

Rather than trying to control life, we allow God to control our life; and we exchange worry for faith in God’s faithfulness. 

We realize we can never succeed as savior of the world, and also that we are not really a victim. We leave people in God’s capable hands and we see our self as victors in Christ in us (Romans 8:31-39).

Prayer:

Father God, help us to understand that our mind is the battleground where our flesh and the devil attempt to render us useless and totally defeat our life. We submit our thoughts to you and Your Word, as You cleanse us and make us whole.

Remind us to memorize Bible verses to combat this negative self-talk, and to realize that our identity is in Christ alone. You are our only judge; so help us to stop caring what other people think about us.

Thought for the Day:

The Serenity Prayer gives us the perfect outline for living a fulfilled life.

Serenity Prayer

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen.