Self-consciousness

I got a haircut this morning. I could tell that the beautician seemed to think that my hair maybe was a little out of control. Now my hair has always tended to grow out rather than down, if you know what I mean. It wants to curl, and up until about two years ago, I was vigilant to make sure it either didn't curl much or at least it curled in the direction I wanted it to go.

Well, in the summer of 2011, I saw  two of my cousins, Annette and Jan, both of whom have very curly hair. They had good haircuts, rather short, and their hair curled into tiny, soft ringlets. Ever since, I have been coaxing my own hair to look like that. Well, mine is not quite as curly, and so at least half the time, it just looks big and bushy. But you know what? I don't care. I really don't. I DON'T CARE! (I am saying this with a smile.) I believe I am past trying to make it do what it doesn't want to do. It's really quite a liberating feeling. I just want it to be clean and to feel soft. I don't want any shiners, or de-frizzers, or mousse, or wax, or any other leave-in product. It's just au natural for me.

You know, self-consciousness is a stifling trait. It makes us stiff and tentative. It hinders us from trying new things for fear of looking stupid or worse, failing entirely. It may tempt us to jealousy or petty squabbles in order to save face.Self-consciousness makes us agonize over past actions and words we have spoken. Oh, don't get me wrong, we need to confess our sins to God as well as to those we've offended. But once that is done, we must stop thinking about ourselves. What a thought!

Primping is not a fruit of the Spirit. Neither is fretting, regretting, nor resentment. And so if my day is under the Holy Spirit's control, I will focus on Christ, on His wonderful love for me, on His sacrifice on my behalf, on His Word. And what I experience as a result will be  love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.