You "Must" Love Yourself
"Love... yourself." Matthew 22:39 NLT
When God saves you, He positions you "in Christ." From that moment on, He views you as being righteous. Not because of your "own righteousness... but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God" (Philippians 3:9 NKJV). When you are growing up, your parents may have given you the impression that if you were good enough they would love and accept you. As a result, you think God feels the same way about you. But He doesn't. In truth, you could never be good enough to earn God's love; that's why He clothes you in Christ's righteousness and says, "I love you unconditionally in spite of all your faults." Now you have a true basis for loving yourself! Think: If God loves you then you are worthy of loving, right? That means you can love yourself! And in fact, you must, because you can only give love to others from the wellspring of your own self-esteem. If you wrestle with insecurity, guilt, self-doubt, and self-loathing, eventually it will manifest itself in your relationships. Swiss Psychologist Paul Tournier said: "If a person will love God the way he ought to... he will then love others the way he ought to... and when he loves God and others the way they ought to be loved, he will never need a psychiatrist." God's love gives you a mental image of yourself that enables and empowers you to give and receive love from others. The truth is, if you had been the only sinner who ever lived, Christ would have died for you. And when that truly dawns on you, you'll start to love yourself and develop into the fullness of your God-given potential.
This message taken from: Daily Devotional - The Word for You Today
When God saves you, He positions you "in Christ." From that moment on, He views you as being righteous. Not because of your "own righteousness... but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God" (Philippians 3:9 NKJV). When you are growing up, your parents may have given you the impression that if you were good enough they would love and accept you. As a result, you think God feels the same way about you. But He doesn't. In truth, you could never be good enough to earn God's love; that's why He clothes you in Christ's righteousness and says, "I love you unconditionally in spite of all your faults." Now you have a true basis for loving yourself! Think: If God loves you then you are worthy of loving, right? That means you can love yourself! And in fact, you must, because you can only give love to others from the wellspring of your own self-esteem. If you wrestle with insecurity, guilt, self-doubt, and self-loathing, eventually it will manifest itself in your relationships. Swiss Psychologist Paul Tournier said: "If a person will love God the way he ought to... he will then love others the way he ought to... and when he loves God and others the way they ought to be loved, he will never need a psychiatrist." God's love gives you a mental image of yourself that enables and empowers you to give and receive love from others. The truth is, if you had been the only sinner who ever lived, Christ would have died for you. And when that truly dawns on you, you'll start to love yourself and develop into the fullness of your God-given potential.
This message taken from: Daily Devotional - The Word for You Today
Recent
Archive
2025
January
"Forgiving each other ...as...God forgave you."EMBRACING UNCERTAINITY AND FOLLOWING GODBLESSING IS PROGRESSIVEIS GOD SHAKING YOU UP?PROBLEMS? DRAW CLOSER TO GODDON'T AVOID--ENGAGEYOU ARE COMMANDED TO LOVEJUST SOW THE SEEDSEE YOURSELF AS VALUABLE (1)SEE YOURSELF AS VALUABLE (2)PRAY ABOUT IT, THEN TAKE ACTIONTHE IMPORTANCE OF GOD'S WORDTHE LINK BETWEEN DISOBEDIENCE AND STRESSHAVE YOU TALKED TO GOD ABOUT IT?KNOW YOUR PURPOSE, KNOW YOUR PARTNERSHOW TO GET WHAT YOU WANTPARENTING, THE BIBLE WAYHOW TO BUILD YOUR SELF-ESTEEMSIGNS FOLLOW FAITHWORSHIP: GIVING YOURSELF TO GODCHANGE YOUR THOUGHTS, AND CHANGE YOUR LIFEFind Prayer PartnersHOW GOD SEES YOUBE GUIDED BY WISDOM, NOT IMPULSEHOW TO GIVEPAUSE AND REFLECTWHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES US ABOUT MONEY (1)WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES ABOUT MONEY (2)WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES US ABOUT MONEY (3))WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES US ABOUT MONEY (4)WHAT THE LORD TEACHES US ABOUT MONEY (5)SEEKING GOD
February
Practice Saying No To YourselfThe Best Is Yet To ComeThe Grandfather's Mistake Became The Grandson's MiracleHow To Conquer The Fear Of FailingLet's Respect Our DifferencesPass It On To OthersThrow It DownYou Are Called To Be Salt And LightExpect To "Wrestle"Use Your Gifts In Ministry To OthersKeep Trusting GodFear Is The Enemy Of GrowthChange Your RoutineYou Are Not Beyond God's ReachDon't Look At Christians, Look At ChristHave A God PerspectiveGod Uses Damaged PeopleUnderstanding The Word "Imputed"Governed By Christ's Love For UsToday Expect God's FavorGrowth Is About EnlargementKeep Praying And BelievingRefuse To Wear The LabelShake It Off, And Move ForwardWhen Others "Don't Get It"Righteousness Is A Gift, Not A Reward
March
Don't Break, Bounce Back (1)How Long Will You Live?Don't Break, Bounce Back (2)Put Away The Measuring StickKnow When To Let GoUse Your ImaginationConnect, Commit, CommunicateHow God Sees YouRearing Spiritual FruitConsult God On Your Daily To Do ListBorn To Believe (1)Born To Believe (2)Only Jesus Can Satisfy Your Soul"Forgive Them" And Delete ItPut God Between Yourself and the FoeBe True To The ScripturesThe Kids Are Watchcng You (1)The Kids Are Watching You (2)If You're A Leader, Read ThisPrayer and Your RASLearn To Say NoYou Can Learn To LoveAlways Agree With God’s WordGive God All The GloryDon’t Let A Wall Build Up Between YouTo Be Used By GodTell Them While You Still CanYou’re Almost ThereA Ministry Of Tears“Much More” Or “Much Less” (1)
Categories
no categories