Jesus replied, Love the Lord your God with all your heart…and love your neighbor as yourself.  Matthew 22:37-38

     This verse has led to a lot of conversation about loving ourselves—with as many different opinions as conversations!  So how do you love yourself in a healthy and godly way? Rick Warren shared his thoughts in Ladies Home Journal:

To truly love yourself, you need to know the five truths that form the basis of a healthy self-esteem:

1. Accept yourself – The opposite of this would be seeking validation and approval from everyone else. It is hard not to be controlled by what we think others might think or might be thinking.
2. Love yourself – Kay Warren said that when they were struggling in their marriage, and things were not going well, she asked God one night to draw near. She says, “In that moment of deep distress and self-doubt I was overwhelmed with the feeling that God really does love me without strings attached!” That was a breakthrough in her life and in their marriage.
3. Be true to yourself – This is impossible to do if you don’t know yourself—your abilities, your passions, your strengths, even your weaknesses--and learn to be content with how God made you. Wise old Seuss, said, “Today you are you. That is truer than true. There is no one alive who is you-er than you!” Problems come when we would rather be someone else.
4. Forgive yourself – This can be tough, for sure. When you are the kind of person who tries hard not to mess up, and then you do, forgiveness feels so wrong. And yet, you can’t undo it, and you can’t rewrite it; you must forgive it. God isn’t looking for perfection; He’s looking for repentance.
5. Believe in yourself – Many people struggle with gnawing insecurity because they listen to old tapes in their heads that may not have been true when they were spoken the first time!! Now, years down the road, they still play the tapes. Push Stop—no, push Delete! What does God say about you, about your life? Do you believe Him?

      The choice is yours: you can believe your “voices” or you can believe God. He says you are truly acceptable, loveable, valuable, and capable!

*Which one do you struggle with the most? Find a verse about it and believe it!

Precious Lord, Thank You for loving me like You do! My salvation and my honor come from You. If I can trust You with my eternity, I can trust You with my identity! Set me free from the lies, the distress, the self-doubt that haunts and accuses, and let me bask in the shelter of Your love! Thank You, Jesus.


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