Eph. 5:28-29 ?

One may be angry and frustrated with himself/the flesh, but yet don’t they still feed it, clothe it, keep it warm (nourish and cherish it) regardless? You’re not alone in the struggle to love yourself while recognizing your own faults, errors, and shortcomings, which IMO is what you are actually hating/loving less about yourself, and is causing you enough frustration to punch yourself in the head. Quit that, a headache won’t help, (Read about Paul’s frustration in the flesh in Romans 7:19-25) Maybe you can chalk up self inflicted punishment to the devil, but know that as a child of God you have the power in Jesus name to cast him out of your life, do so. Which brings us back up to an example and advise in the preceding verse 26 of Ephesians for instruction; Christ gave Himself for the church that He might sanctify it (the body/church) “through” the Word, (we may suffer tribulations but we know the Word is truth and it is the channel for blessings), the Word cleanses us from guilt and the power of sin by washing. V18 tells us to be filled with the Spirit,V19 says “speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs” (meditating through the Word).

(Rom 5:2) By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

(Rom 5:3) And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;

(Rom 5:4) And patience, experience; and experience, hope:

(Rom 5:5) And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

 

The devil cannot make you do anything. Our sin is a choice that we make. It is not about being weak or overly tempted, but it is about how we view God and Christ. Jesus said if you love Me you will keep my commandments. Self inflected punishment is a serious sign that there is a spiritual problem that lies deep within.. I would suggest that you get with your pastor or someone who you feel is walking with the Lord and talk with them about this behavior. Once you learn to love yourself in the Lord then you will be able to love your wife a commanded. God bless.

 

This is amateur psychology, and worth what you paid for it, but it has some scriptural basis.

If you didn't already love yourself, you wouldn't get angry when you mess up.

Besides Ephesians 5:28, Paul also writes about it in
Romans 12:3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.

Paul assumes that people love themselves. He never writes about low self-esteem.

I don't know why you hurt yourself, but it's not because you don't love yourself.

 

It could be a form of self punishment akin to auto-flagellation (a Catholic monastic form of self inflicted punishment with whips).

Just kidding?

HankD

 

Here's a "What if..."

Luke 18:13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.

What if this publican went to a self-esteem therapy session before he decided to go to the temple?

HankD

 

The the incident in Luke 18:13 would never have happened. The therapist would have talked him out of his notion that he was sinner. The publican would have left the session feeling pretty good about himself.

The therapist would have been wrong, of course. Compared to God, we're all scum.

But not according to folks like Joel Osteen. His mama said on TV that Joel doesn't go around calling people sinners. And Charles Schuller defined sin as a lack of self-esteem. They both would have frowned on the publican's smiting his breast, because it would have demonstrated a denial of his great worth to God.

The publican's new prayer will now be, "I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and doggone it, God, people like me." Oh, never mind, that was Stuart Smalley on Saturday Night Live.

You talk about somebody who had low self-esteem and deserved to, it was Stuart.