The
moment we hear or read anyone suggest that we need to love ourselves, most of us
as Christians feel uncomfortable. Many have heard that loving yourself is the
opposite of loving God. One time a college student told me that if he loved God
more he would not keep committing the same habitual sin over and over. Inside
his thinking was the idea that he actually loved himself too much and did not
love God enough.
When Jesus was asked by the religious leaders of His day what the
greatest commandment was, He responded by quoting Deuteronomy 6:5. "You shall
love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul with all you
mind and with all your strength." He followed with the second greatest
commandment by quoting Leviticus 18:19, "You shall love your neighbor as
yourself."
Please
read those scriptures again and answer this question. How many people are we
instructed to love? For years, I would have answered "Two. God and others". But
that is incorrect. What we see is that we are to love: 1) God above all and with
all; 2) Love our neighbor; and 3) Love ourselves. There is a proper love of
yourself that our God not only sanctions but expects of us. So how do we love
ourselves in a way that is not self-centered, self-indulgent, and
self-serving?
God
tells us in 1 John 4:19 that we love Him because He first loved us.
Paul prays for the Ephesians a great prayer that I pray for my family, my staff
and all whom we minister to. The latter part of the prayer tells us that as God
answers this prayer, we will "be rooted and grounded" in God's love for us.
(Ephesians 3:17)
We
can only truly love God when we are at rest in His love for us rather than
believing that we must earn His love through obedience. We can only truly love
others when we Biblically love ourselves. We can only truly love ourselves when
that love is rooted in God's love for us. When our love for ourself is rooted in
someone else or something else, it is sinful. When our love for ourself is
rooted in God's love He is delighted!
We
who are in Christ can love ourselves because God loves us with no strings
attached. If you instead loath yourself, you do not really believe in His love
for you!
I
have personally found great joy and peace in praying the following prayer to my
Father often. "Father because you love me, I love me." How about you? Would you
be willing to pray that prayer each day as part of your communion with
God?
Until next time remenber, He
loves us.
Mark Maulding
President and Founder
GraceLifeInternational.com
