Is it wrong for Christians to self-harm? Cutting has been around since Old Testament times. The pagans used to cut themselves when they were mourning someone's death. Leviticus 19:28 says, Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the Lord. In Mark 5 we are told about a demon-possessed man who lived in the cemetery and would cry out and cut himself night and day.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says, Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honour God with your bodies. Disfiguring and abusing your body does not honour God - you were made in His image. When you despair and feel like cutting, listen to some Christian music and worship God; read your Bible, ask friends, family or youth pastor to pray for you; and speak to a counsellor. I love this Romans 5:8 colour-in. You can download it at http://timewarpwife.com. You can meditate on the Word and reduce stress in one activity.
Bethany Hamilton was an up and coming surfer when her arm was bitten off by a shark when she was just 13 years old. She has since returned to professional surfing, got married and had a son. In 2011 a feature film about her life, Soul Surfer, was released. She travels the world inspiring thousands of people and sharing her faith. This book was released in 2011 when Bethany was 21. It is full of short, real and relevant devotions plus has room for journaling. It would make a great gift. You can buy it at Koorong. It is also available as an ebook.
Everybody has troubles in life. James 1:2-4 says Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 2 Corinthians 4:17 says For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. What does that mean? When we endure troubles our faith grows and we get better at relying on God though our trials and trusting in him. It's like anything in life that you want to get good at, you need to practice. You can bet Serena Williams did a lot of practice before she got that good at tennis.
An added bonus is that you will be able to help other people through their troubles. 2 Corinthians 1:4 says [God] comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. There is a very unhealthy fascination in western culture with one's physical appearance. Kylie Jenner's "perfect pout" has inspired hundreds of teen girls (and boys) to get lip fillers. Australians spend $22 billion a year on beauty. Proverbs 31:30 says, Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. You might be worried about what every one else thinks of you, but the truth is, they are too busy thinking about themselves. The Bible tells us that outward beauty is not worth chasing, it quickly disappears. It is much more important to be beautiful on the inside - to be kind, generous, loving, courageous, patient, self-controlled, good...
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