Comments on: The Sweat-Grimed Poppies I Hold in my Hands

By: I Too Am Blind - Lucinda J Kinsinger

I Too Am Blind - Lucinda J Kinsinger — Sat, 16 May 2020 20:26:37 +0000

[…] wrote about the self-approbation phenomenon once before in a blog entitled “The Sweat-Grimed Poppies I Hold in my Hands.” Even criminals–and who of us hasn’t committed a crime at some point?–view […]

By: Lucinda J

Lucinda J — Thu, 22 Jan 2015 03:16:11 +0000

In reply to Stephanie J. Leinbach.

Yeah, I do identify with what you’re talking about, though I don’t think that’s so much my personal struggle.

“I think when I esteem God as I ought…my “self” issues fade away.”

Yes. And that is a huge commitment and growing process in itself.

By: Stephanie J. Leinbach

Stephanie J. Leinbach — Thu, 22 Jan 2015 02:40:32 +0000

In reply to lucindaj.

Redeemable. I like that. Anyone and anything redeemable is not beyond hope.

I’ll be honest: I struggle with feeling like I need to earn God’s favor because he couldn’t possibly love such an awful sinner as I am. I have a daughter who is exactly the same. She came to me the other day in tears after some bad behavior and said, “Mom, I’m such an awful person.” She went on to list, ruthlessly, all her weaknesses and struggles. It stunned me how insightful and harsh she was. She is only seven.

But I’m not sure that this is the same thing as what you’re talking about here, because I can still battle feelings of superiority in areas where I am not as weak. The devil likes to get us any way he can.

I think when I esteem God as I ought, when I see Him as the loving, merciful, just Father that He is, my “self” issues fade away.

By: lucindaj

lucindaj — Wed, 21 Jan 2015 00:56:21 +0000

In reply to Stephanie J. Leinbach.

I don’t know if it’s possible to fall into the ditch on the other side or not!

I know I’ve spent a lot of time in my life feeling inferior, but I’ve always had it mixed with a sense of, “They just don’t understand me.” I never lost a sense of intrinsic worth, and I never thought I was more sinful or wrong-headed than others. Never that.

Inferiority only made me more self-aware. It had nothing to do with humility or brokenness.

When I started to value myself more, I started to value others more also, and not be so crippled by self-image. So self esteem IS important.

Is it possible to think yourself worse than other people? I don’t know!

Pretty rare, anyway.

I don’t think it would be good to constantly see yourself as nothing and broken and terrible, because in the light of the Word, that’s not how God views us.

Redeemable and redeemed are the words that come to mind.

By: lucindaj

lucindaj — Wed, 21 Jan 2015 00:37:18 +0000

In reply to Lori. Really love that. Beautiful.

By: Stephanie J. Leinbach

Stephanie J. Leinbach — Tue, 20 Jan 2015 03:54:47 +0000

I am intrigued by the idea that most people think themselves better than average. That is mathematically impossible, not to mention laughable.

Do you think it’s possible to fall into the ditch on the other side–to see yourself as much worse than other people?

Is this also a form of pride? Or is it good to see yourself as nothing and broken and terrible?

(I like to ask hard questions. You aren’t obligated to manufacture answers if you have none.) :)

By: Lori

Lori — Tue, 20 Jan 2015 01:53:37 +0000

I like this. Truth. It reminds me of something my dad told me…”When people give you a compliment, it’s like they hand you a bouquet of flowers. You have a choice…you can either hang onto that bouquet and glory in it and yourself, or you can say, ‘Here God, this is Yours. You’re the One that really owns it.'” And though they be but pitiful poppies, He does.

By: Naomi

Naomi — Tue, 20 Jan 2015 00:26:53 +0000

A good sermon. A universal truth. Its so hard to be humble. So so hard.