Rev. David Holwick MOTHER'S DAY
First Baptist Church
Ledgewood, New Jersey [see #1486]
May 12, 1991
Matthew 10:29-31
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I. Mothers love us no matter what.
A. We are always beautiful to our mothers.
"Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no
compassion on the child she has borne?
Though she may forget, I will not forget you!" Isaiah 49:15
B. Mothers accept us for what we are and love us anyway.
II. We think less of ourselves than our mom did.
A. Many people are disappointed in themselves.
1) Some even hate themselves.
2) Most criminals have poor self-image.
B. Especially true among young people.
1) Rash of suicides, drug use, alcoholism.
2) Communicates: "I'm not worth much."
C. Reasons for poor self-image:
1) Comparisons with others: I'm not as good-looking, smart,
or rich ... as everyone else.
2) Personal goals not attained.
3) Failures and the resulting guilt & shame.
III. Human potential movement.
A. Stresses the positive possibilities within each person.
1) "What you want to be, you can be!" and similar slogans.
2) Emphasis picked up by preachers like Peale and Schuller.
a) Schuller believes the most basic human goal is esteem.
B. Benefits of positive self-image (loving yourself):
1) They are generally less depressed.
2) They are freer of certain ailments and drug abuse.
3) They are more independent of peer pressure.
4) They are more persistent when facing tough tasks.
C. Key to why it works:
1) Not self-talk ("I think I can, I think I can....")
2) Actual successful experiences: achieving realistic goals.
D. Dangers of human potential movement:
1) The human potential movement glorifies selfishness.
a) "We owe ourselves the very best."
b) Tendency toward pantheism - "You are god."
2) There are no boundaries for your behavior.
a) You should love yourself no matter what.
b) You don't answer to anyone else.
3) It doesn't always work.
a) If we aim too high and fail, we blame ourselves even more.
IV. The Bible's View of human potential.
A. Love yourself or deny yourself?
1) Robert Schuller vs. Jerry Falwell.
2) Are people basically wonderful or rotten?
B. The two sides of human nature.
1) God created us with the potential for happiness and fulfillment.
2) Because of our disobedience (sin) we also have the potential
for great unhappiness and failure.
3) We must affirm one aspect of the self and deny the other.
a) Both selves coexist with believers until they die.
V. Christians must affirm the self which is good.
A. Good self-image of Adam and Eve in garden of Eden.
1) They (and we) were created in God's image.
2) Our minds can comprehend awesome concepts.
B. Jesus' teaching.
1) Jesus taught that people are valuable in God's sight.
a) Worth much more than sparrows. Matt 10:31
b) God makes us worthy for the Kingdom.
c) Our worth is a gift from him. (God's grace)
2) Jesus honored people, especially the dishonorable.
3) Jesus served and died for people. Mark 10:45
C. Humans have tremendous potential.
1) We must make the most of what God has given us.
2) We can affirm and love this aspect of our "self".
VI. Christians must deny the self which is tarnished.
A. Two-fold tarnish by Fall from the Garden of Eden.
1) Inflated self-image. (become like God) Gen 3:5
2) Poor self-image. (they felt shame at nakedness) Gen 3:7
B. We have valid reasons for feeling unworthy.
1) "All have sinned, fallen short of God's glory." Rom 3:23
2) We not only have sinned, but continue to fail God.
C. Love yourself before you can love your neighbor? Leviticus 19:18
1) Neither Moses nor Jesus commands us to love ourselves.
a) Self-love is a fact, not a virtue.
b) Loving neighbor is real emphasis.
2) Self-love is a sin. 2 Tim 3:1-2
"But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.
People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money,
boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents..."
3) Jesus teaches us to deny the sinful self. Matt 16:24
D. Spiritual maturity requires that we learn how to live with
unfulfillment.
1) The cup is both half-full and half-empty.
2) The false ideal of the full cup assumes all can and should
be fullness and perfection.
3) This leads to despair and disappointment.
4) Normal people probably never feel totally "fulfilled."
VII. Reversal of the Fall. (How to build a better self-image)
A. Always keep in mind God's love for you.
1) God gave up highest value (Jesus) for your sake. Rom 8:31-32
B. Learn genuine Christian humility.
1) Honest awareness of our strengths and weaknesses. Rom 12:3
2) A readiness to consider others better than self. Phil 2:3
3) Humility is not self-hatred. (This is false humility)
C. Discover what it means to be a "new creation" in Jesus. 2 Cor 5:17
1) What God will do for us.
a) God forgives and forgets our sins.
b) God works in our lives on a daily basis to help us.
2) What Christians must do for themselves.
a) Respond to God with faith and repentance.
b) Remember that even though we still have two selves warring
with each other, we must consider the old self "dead".
c) The "new self" is all that matters.
D. Theologian Anthony Hoekema:
"The Christian life involves not just believing something about
Christ, but also believing something about ourselves...
Our faith in Christ must include believing that we are what
the Bible says we are."
VIII. What should we do?
A. Christians should have a self-image that is primarily positive.
1) Doesn't mean "feeling good about ourselves" on the basis of
our own achievements, good looks, or godly behavior.
2) Our self-image involves looking at ourselves in the light of
God's loving work of forgiveness and renewal.
B. We should give God praise for all he has done (and is doing).
1) God can use us, despite our shortcomings.
2) God gives each of us unique and wonderful talents.
a) In church, and in world.
C. A positive self-image is not an end in itself.
1) It is a means to the end of living for God and others.
a) We should not be preoccupied with ourselves.
2) Christians should value other people, even outcasts.
D. Check your self-image against God's word.
1) (Airplane pilots have to check instruments.)
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I. Positive-thinking preachers like Peale and Schuller appeal to
this approach to life. CT 8/10/84, p.15
A. Main problem of people is low self-image.
B. Stressing sin makes sinners feel even less worthy.
C. The good news of Jesus is that we are infinitely valuable
to him.
1) Jesus wants to save us from a low self-image, give us a
positive one.
II. Dennis Voskuil, a Reformed thinker who has written
thoughtfully about Robert Schuller's positive thinking, states
the phenomenon in Christian terms:
The refreshing gospel promise is "not that we have been freed
by Christ to love ourselves, but that we are free from
self-obsession.
Not that the cross frees us for the ego trip but that the
cross frees us from the ego trip."
A. It is possible to realize self-denial without self-rejection,
and self-affirmation without vain self-love.
B. This leaves us free to esteem our special talents and, with
equal honesty, to esteem our neighbor's talents.
C. Recognition that all our talents come from God. 1 Cor 4:7
III. "What we therefore need is neither negative nor positive
thinking, but realistic thinking - thinking characterized
by enough pessimism to trigger concern, enough optimism to
provide hope." 4/22/88, p.28
IV. Resolving the paradox.
A. The "self" is complex, a mixture of good and evil.
B. We must come to terms with our true self.
1) My true self is what I am by creation, which Christ
came to redeem. I must encourage this.
2) My fallen self is what I am by the Fall, which Christ
came to destroy. I must deny this.
Copyright © 2024 by Rev. David Holwick
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