What is it to Love self? My mother told me the other day that I needed to learn how to love myself. This was after I told her I was a minister and that I Love Jesus. "Son you need to learn how to love yourself". I thought about what she said then immediately started going over the scriptures I know that talked about the Love of God. The first scripture that came to mind was
1 John 4:8 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
God is Love. So that means God is
1 Corinthians 13:4-13 4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
It is clear to me that Love is the greatest thing on earth because nothing is as infinite nor lasts longer than the eternal God.
But how do I Love myself?
John 3:16 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 15:13 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
Matthew 22:36-40 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Hallelujah!
Love is a sacrifice given from self. To give your life for anothers well being is a sacrifice. Love your nieghbor like you Love yourself. How do I love myself? Well I must be patient and kind to myself. I can't be so hard on myself for mistakes or short comings. I must give myself the benefit of the doubt. I must move forward past things that really don't matter because I can not control them.
It is a daily sacrifice to think of myself in kind ways and to take care of myself. To be concerned with my own well being.
To Love God with everything that is me, my heart soul and mind. To honestly care about what my creator thinks about how I live my life and how I treat others along the way.
Love yourself. Take time to care about your own well being. Mental and Physical health are most important and no one is going to take care of you like you should, but some of us don't know how as my mother so kindly pointed out to me the other day. This is a blog and I hope it touches just one.
I love you. Or do I? Jimal L. Stokes