How can I stop hating myself? I thought I was getting better, but I’m getting worse.
This is a difficult struggle that many people deal with throughout their lives, so I just want to say that you’re not alone in this. I’ve answered questions similar to this, so I’ll link those at the end of this article, but I wanted to share a few thoughts that might be helpful.
A place to start when you want to change how you view yourself is to look at God’s Word and what it says about you. You weren’t made on accident. God knew what he was doing and he wants you to find your identity in him. A few verses that might be encouraging are these:
2 Corinthians 5:17 – Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
Zephaniah 3:17 – The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.
Psalm 139:14 – I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.
Another thing to do is to find out what makes you come alive. What are you interested in or passionate about? Often God puts these things inside of us to give us purpose and meaning and when we’re pursuing what God has for us, we will stop hating ourselves so much because we realize that God doesn’t hate us and has unending grace for us.
And finally, I think it’s really important to find friends who can encourage and support you. It’s really hard to combat lies that we tell ourselves or the culture tells us, but one of the most effective ways to fight this that I’ve found is to have friends who speak encouraging words to me. Talk to an adult leader if you’re not sure who to confide in. Find ways to remind yourself of who you are in Christ and what your purpose is on this earth.
There’s so much more I could say on this, but for now I’m going to point you to these blogposts that cover this topic more in depth.
No one likes me…
Is it wrong to hate your body because God created it?
How do I overcome self-disgust and become more confident?
The Question Box Blog 