Eph 5:29 No one hates his own body but feeds and cares for it, just as Christ cares for the church.
I remember the opening line of a book I used to read to my boys when they were little—“I love myself. I’m glad I’m me. There’s no one else I’d rather be….” At its heart, it’s a book about self-esteem, about loving yourself just as you are, just as God created you. Sometimes it’s a fine line between healthy self-esteem and narcissism, but my gut says many more folks tend to ridicule themselves instead of loving and accepting themselves as they are.
Luke 10:27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
You may wonder what difference it makes. A huge one, I’d wager, given that we are to love God with all that we are and all that we have, followed closely by loving our neighbors as we love ourselves. For many, it often seems easier to love our neighbor because our inner critic reserves its vilest vitriol for a target much closer to home.
Psalm 139:14 I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
Lord, Thank You for this day and for laying this topic on my heart this morning. It’s a delicate balance to strike, this idea of self-love, because we need to love ourselves in order to love others as ourselves, but we don’t need a world of self-involved egomaniacs. Help us to see ourselves through Your eyes, Lord, to love and accept ourselves so that we can fulfill Your call to love our neighbors as ourselves. And help us always, first and foremost, to love You and pursue You with all that we are and all that we have. Draw us closer. Amen.
Song of Solomon 4:7 You are altogether beautiful, my darling; there is no flaw in you.
Have a blessed day.