Self image and self worth

Almost everyday I discover something new about this beautiful country - or something is bought to my attention - that maybe I hadn't fully connected or understood before.

This has happened ALOT lately -  I wish sometimes I could turn my brain off !

My latest observation is - you hardly ever hear people put themselves down here. 

Like actually I don't think I have ever heard anyone do that? 

I recently mentioned something about talking to our classes about low self esteem - and they gave me a funny look! 
I inquired and they said - thats not a very big thing here. 

The conversation ended but I continued to dwell on this - I was almost speechless as I started to realise - I had never heard people putting themselves down here.... this really floored me - especially in light of the enormous amount of friends I personally know who struggle with low self esteem - and the depression and fear and anxiety that comes from that. 

I sat on my thoughts for a good few weeks, until one day in the car, Rob and the boys were singing along to a hugely popular song here in Uganda - 'I know who I am' - by Nigerian singer Sinach. 

The lyrics are as follows 

We are a chosen generation
We've been called forth to show His excellence
All I require for life, God has given me
And I know who I am

[2x]
I know who God says I am
What He says I am
Where He says I'm at
I know who I am

I'm walking in power,
I'm working miracles
I live a life of favor,
For I know who I am

I am holy,
I am righteous oh…
I am so rich,
I am beautiful

[2x]
I'm walking in power,
I'm working miracles
I live a life of favor,
For I know who I am

Take a look at me. I'm a wonder
It doesn't matter what you see now
Can you see His glory?
For I know who I am

Now the first time I heard this song a couple of years ago - the church here in Uganda went off - they love the song - I at the time  - found it a bit hard to sing.
Not melody wise - but lyrically. 
I mean I wanted to agree with it all - but I found it hard singing - I'm a wonder.... or I am beautiful .. even saying I am righteous was a bit hard - and yet scripturally ( 2 Cor 5:21)  - Jesus's death allowed us to become the righteousness of God! 
And also The Bible tells us that when you “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness…all these things shall be added to you”. (Matthew 6:33) 

When we speak that out - God must be pleased - because its taking hold of what He suffered and died to give us. 

And singing I'm a wonder or I am beautiful - is only speaking out one of the countless scriptures that tell us that we are those things because God made us. (Psalm 139 for example) 

How sad that I found that so difficult - that our society has taught us (and it seeps in to the church) that we can't celebrate who God made us to be. 

I love african worship because they speak out the truth - they know who they are! 

Now I know I'm not the only 'westerner' to find singing some of those lines difficult - some of my Australian family when singing the song at a conference in perth said they liked the song - but singing some of the lines was hard and a bit confronting to sing! 

And yet when I mentioned that to Rob and a friend here - they could not understand how anyone could have an issue singing those words. 

All of these things have been going around in my mind - so when I heard the song in the car again that day - I asked Rob straight out - "do people here ever have low self esteems?" ( now obviously I'm talking in general terms) ..... and he said - "most Ugandan's wouldn't even think of thinking down about themselves."

I was amazed - and I asked..." but why.... why is it so different here compared to Australia - or any western nation that see's low self esteem as a major issue."  He said - "I think its because people know who they are here."

They have a connection to God and see that even when things are tough or not going their way - its how it is - but it isn't WHO they are - they are STILL a child of God... they STILL have a purpose in this world. They know who and who's they are. 

WOW! 

The more I have thought on this and the more I have asked around various people, from various walks of life here in Uganda - the general consences is that low self esteem does not affect people like it does in Western countries - because of their strong faith and in knowing who they are. 

Its also interesting to note, that even amongst the precious women we work with in the slums - they don't equate not being able to provide even the basic items for their children with them failing or being failures. 

After I asked a mum who lives in the slum about this - she said that - while she doesn't like the circumstances they live in, or the fact that she can't provide more for her children - even things they need ( not just things they want) - she doesn't see herself as a failure or that she is failing as a parent. 

I found this interesting because I can think of countless conversations with other mum friends of mine in the west, where parents feel like they are a failure or failing their kids in many ways. 
That 'mummy guilt' thats always being referred to. Which I know even myself I've felt - that I'm not enough, not doing enough, not being enough, not providing enough. 
All lies and rubbish - but those feelings come. 
And we often consider it normal or apart of being a mother in the west?? 
How tragic that we allow the world and the enemy to fill our mind with lies like this! 

How he must enjoys stealing our joy,  stealing our self esteems, our self worth, our understanding of who's we are, and who we are.  

I'm going to try and start taking a leaf out of the Ugandan manual - and celebrate WHO and WHO'S I am! 


Will you join me?