This certainly wasn’t the article I had in mind several days ago, when I was praying about the topic to share with you today. However, I know this is the message the Lord pressed upon my heart for good reason.
Over the weekend we learned of the death of Whitney Houston. Quite honestly, at first, I didn’t believe it. How could someone who seemingly had it all, have died at the age of just 48? Not only that, but how could someone so beautiful, so talented and so successful, have lived such a tragic life?
Maybe you have more in common with Whitney than you could have imagined.
Whitney had some “problems” that included: failed relationships; addictions to drugs and alcohol; and apparently, the biggest problem of all, her unhealthy relationship with herself.
Many of you probably know that Whitney got her start by singing in church. She appeared to have a strong background of faith. So how could someone who seemed to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, have missed out on the peace and contentment that God has available for each one of us?
In a past interview with Diane Sawyer, Whitney was asked, “What is the #1 ‘devil’ in your life?” Her response said it best: “That would be me. I’m either my best friend or my biggest enemy.”
What about you? Are you your biggest fan or your biggest critic? How healthy is your relationship with yourself? What are your own thoughts like –especially those directed to yourself? Are they supportive, empowering and encouraging, or harsh, critical and condemning? You get to choose and whether you are aware of it or not, you are actively choosing one or the other with every single thought.
Our relationship with ourselves, starting with our thoughts, can be a major contributor to anxiety, stress, depression, sickness, disease and yes, even death. Unfortunately, instead of dealing with the core issue, as a society today, we often just medicate the symptoms. Rather than experiencing those unhealthy and sometimes catastrophic results, why not learn to go straight to the problem –your relationship with yourself? That is where genuine, lasting transformation always begins.
Barbara Streisand said it best: “How sad that her gifts that brought us such happiness, couldn’t do the same for herself.”
– Alicia Economos
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