Love Yourself

Love Yourself

Are we to love ourselves? I know…Mark 12:31 says to love your neighbor as yourself.  But can we love our neighbor if we don’t love ourselves? I’m not talking about taking it to the extreme and basking in self-love exclusively and becoming so self-absorbed that you’ve become a narcissist. That’s sinful. But are you free from self-hate and inner condemning voices? Have you forgiven yourself and others? Have you been released from thinking critically of yourself? If you haven’t, that’s the place to start before you can actively start being kind to yourself. And it takes the power of the Holy Spirit to do that spiritual surgery. 

Why is it so much easier to say we should do some self-care or be kind to ourselves rather than love ourselves? I think we’ve been taught it’s wrong to love ourselves.  Satan wants us stuck in a place of self-loathing so we never reach out to others in love—which is the second greatest commandment, by the way.  He knows if we live in a place of self-doubt, that commandment will never be fulfilled effectively.  

Sometimes, after we’ve walked through a particularly hard season or after we’ve spent time taking care of others extensively, we especially need to take care of ourselves…love ourselves. We’re living in stressful times—we need some relief! It can be as simple as listening to music, walking by a stream, eating a delicious meal, listening to children laugh, reading a book, browsing in a store you love, or getting away alone for a short period of time. Whatever it is, it needs to fill your soul. It needs to make you want to breathe in deeply and absorb the moment. It should calm any jangling nerves. It should bring rest.  

The greatest way to love yourself is to love God first. Turn your eyes to Jesus, read His Word, and let him speak to your heart. Let him rid you of every anxious thought. After He meets your needs, He will gently and clearly show you the next way to love someone else.  

Be kind to yourself. Give to yourself. Do some self-care. Get filled up! Love yourself. 

And then…love others.