The Jesus Way

by Morgan Krueger

I look in the mirror, noticing the fine lines on my forehead that seem to be a little more prominent after a day of meetings, mothering, crying, laughing, and making only God knows how many silly faces to get a laugh out of my two boys. I step a little closer to my reflection to see if the lines are really as “bad” as they look from where I’m standing. They’re not . . . they’re worse. My husband, Ryan, calls out to me from the kitchen for a helping hand, so I walk away, but the image I saw takes a little longer to shake off.

The voices in my head at that moment are conflicting. I’m unsure which one I should listen to and, if I’m honest, which one is true.

The first one whispers: You need to love yourself, Morgan. And that means accepting how you look and embracing your aging body. Or it could look like a little self-care and a round of improvements. Don’t feel guilty about getting a facial, treating yourself to a new outfit, or even Botox if it will help you feel more confident about how you look when you gaze in the mirror.

The other voice takes a different approach. Morgan, you need to deny yourself completely, never overly caring about what you look like, it says. It’s not Christlike to dwell on your appearance, or to indulge in silly things like “self-care.” A godly woman isn’t concerned with image, which is an idol to so many in this generation. You must deny “self” fully, and in that, you will find what it means to truly live for Jesus. 

These voices might make you think of two distinct groups of people. The first is the voice of our culture that suggests loving ourselves is the solution to all of life’s problems. The second comes with a full swing on the pendulum. It echoes what we sometimes hear within the church and Christian community. It tells us that pursuing any form of tending to ourselves is selfish, wasteful, and never of God.

While my example focuses on appearance, as you and I know, friend, the struggle with self goes so far beyond what we see in the mirror.

It’s what people think of us.

It’s what reputation we have within our spheres of influence and communities.

It’s what achievements we’ve accomplished in our workspaces and industries.

It’s who we know and how it elevates our image.

It’s the obsession with “me, myself, and I,” with an authentic pursuit of Jesus nowhere to be found.

I share these internal voices to let you know that if you struggle with self, as well, you aren’t alone.

I find myself confused about how much is too much and how much is not enough.

I desire to make much of Jesus, not myself, and I also want to steward the life and the body God has given me.

I want to live all out for the One who bought me with a price (1 Cor. 6:20), yet I also battle internal desires such as the need for approval, “likes,” and affirmation from the world around me.

I long to know how to choose Jesus in a secular, materialistic, metamodern culture that preaches my enough-ness and offers self-based solutions to my growing insecurity. And I want to go deeper into what it means to make much of Jesus, as I see the pillars of our faith doing throughout Scripture.

So, which voice is it that we should be listening to? The first voice or the second? Friend, I believe that Jesus offers you and me a third option.

He provides us a way that keeps our affection on Him above ourselves and allows us to tend to ourselves and our souls.

A way that has a correct view of self and a high view of God.

A way that truly magnifies our Creator in the way we serve, love, and live our lives.

There is another way. It’s the Jesus way.

Excerpted from Made to Magnify by Morgan Krueger (© 2026). Published by Moody Publishers. Used by permission.

Morgan Krueger is a Jesus follower, wife, mother, and author who found her voice connecting with women seeking biblical freedom from the brokenness of shame. Passionate about the redemption and joy found in following Jesus, Morgan aims to keep that at the center of all she does. In her downtime, you can find Morgan enjoying the significance of the mundane, including being silly with her kids, encouraging women through words, and adventuring with her husband, Ryan, in Franklin, TN. Learn more about Morgan at morgankrueger.com.