Hello –
I have spent the day ruminating on self love. This is a deep subject though I did not think
it would be so deep.
We are exploring Psalm 139 and digging out some of the
treasures that lie within. I really like
this psalm for several reasons. I have
found a good foundation here for learning to love what God created. Most of us want to know where it all began
for us and how we got here. Reading this
psalm is not going to tell you how your mom and dad met, but it does say that
regardless of how it all began God was right there watching over you in minute
detail. He loved what was being created
so much that He was right there when the miracle began – the miracle of
you. You are worth watching over. You are worth loving. God loves you (right now, I know I sound like
the angel on “Touched by an Angel” – if you don’t know what that program is
please google it). In all seriousness –
God loves you!
Self love begins with acknowledging your worth. You have value. You mean something, first and foremost to
God. David wants you to know that when
no one else was there, God was there. He
was the only one that could watch you form in your mother’s womb. In the midst of the great strides we are
making in modern medicine we are only able to take small images of a baby as he
grows. We are not able to (nor could I imagine
a woman being able to lie down long enough) for doctors to be able to watch a
fetus grown 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for nine months.
David closes this part of the psalm (because this is not the
end) with a declaration of love for God and himself. He praised God for the awesome work He did –
in making him (David). He gave God all
honor for making such a wonderful creation.
Reflecting on these words caused me to think clearer about
how I feel about myself. My confession
to you yesterday was I did not always love myself. The truth of the matter is that I have
struggled to love myself for years. It was
a journey to learn to love me. It took
time and patience with myself. I had to
be willing to dig into the recesses of my soul to pull out the ugly stuff I believed
about me. I thought I was the lowest of
the low and the ugliest thing living. Real
talk!
I want to encourage, inspire and reassure you. The work you do to learn to love yourself is
a worthy task. David tells us why we
should love ourselves – because God first loved us. God first saw what He created and cared
enough to watch over its development.
God loves you. You should love
yourself. I know this may seem hard and
almost illogical, maybe a waste of time.
Don’t allow yourself to reason past this moment – consider it. Embrace it.
Loving yourself is key to the joy you are looking for.
I am not talking about a kind of love that is prideful and
allows you to be full of yourself. That
kind of love is not beneficial or glorifying to God. I am talking about a love of oneself allowing
you to see purpose to your life based on God’s desires for you. I am talking about a love of oneself which
brings joy and peace, comfort and strength, urging you to love others the way
you are loved by God.
There is no assignment tonight and no need to jot down any
further information. I ask you to search
yourself and find love – love within your soul and spirit directed at you. Ask yourself the questions necessary to find
out how healthy your love is when directed toward you.
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