For a godly woman, respect goes in every direction:
- respect for God (the highest level of respect)
- respect for self
- respect for others
- respect for men and women
- respect for our men in particular
- respect for God-given authority (bosses, teachers, pastors, government officials, etc…)
What does it mean to respect myself?
- I acknowledge that I am made in God’s image and have immeasurable worth because God created me and because Jesus loves me and died for me.
- I respect my body by acknowledging that I am fearfully and wonderfully made and being thankful for my body, taking good care of it – not hating or abusing it.
- I respect my sexuality and my body by dressing modestly and not revealing anything that would be inappropriate.
- I respect my life and spiritual, emotional, and physical health by seeking to walk in God’s ways and His wisdom knowing that sin would destroy me on every level.
- I am thankful for the gifts, talents, and abilities God has given me and I seek to be a good steward of them all.
- I love myself because I know that God loves me. I receive God’s love for me gladly.
- I can receive the love of other people.
- I know that my perspective, desires, needs, feelings, and concerns are often important and I am able to share these respectfully.
- I receive that God’s Word and His promises apply to me, too, not just to others.
- I take good care of my body, mind, soul, nutritional needs, and health. I seek to do what is best for myself in all of these areas.
- I have healthy boundaries emotionally and am able to say, “no,” when I should.
- I take responsibility for my own spiritual growth and my emotions.
- I do not take on responsibilities that belong to others and to God.
- I do not abuse myself.
- I do not subject myself to abuse.
- I seek God’s wisdom about how to live my life and I seek to avoid foolish decisions.
- I am careful not to put myself in tempting situations.
- I am careful not to have any addictions to anything except for Jesus.
- I have a healthy understanding of who I am vs. who God is.
- I seek to be a godly steward of my finances and to make wise decisions in God’s sight. I try to avoid debt and manage my finances well.
- I am able to stand up for myself if necessary while still being respectful of others.
- I don’t allow anyone or anything to steal the treasures I have in Christ.
- I acknowledge the importance of my influence authority in my relationships.
- I honor and cherish God’s design of femininity for me.
- I acknowledge that I – primarily – set the emotional temperature for my relationships.
SHARE:
What are some other ways you show respect for yourself? Ladies and gentlemen are welcome to respond.
MORE:
I went into more detail about my mindset biblically behind each of these points in the comments if you are interested.
