Written by Ann, Not Just a Blonde, October 29, 2014 – http://tinyurl.com/p8bdtnd

Jesus tells us to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. But what if we don’t really even like ourselves, let alone love ourselves? It is no wonder we struggle to love our neighbor!

Without self-love how can we begin to follow Jesus’ command? Truly, the love we might share with our neighbor is often limited by the lack of love we have for ourselves.

The person you need to learn to love first, is YOU! When you do not truly love yourself, you are not able to fully love another.

Spiritual self-love is not narcissistic nor haughty! This self-love does not compare our worth with others, it only affirms our individual God-given value and worth. It is humble, it is kind, it is affirming and healing! Spiritual self-love provides the key to fulfilling God’s outward-love focused command.

Yet, how do we begin to cross this hurdle when for so long our self-loathing is all we have found to be true? How do we silence the deceiver’s lie telling us we are worthless and unworthy? How do we begin to heal the self-hate we feel inside?

Loving ourselves involves acknowledging the beauty and value of God’s creation! Loving ourselves involves internalizing how love-able we are to our God. Loving ourselves means recognizing our eternal connection to a loving living God.

This awareness of our true lovability comes from our Spiritual connection to the Divine. We can not earn it, we only need to recognize it… claim it as true!

Be gentle with yourself, be patient, be kind. Forgive yourself for your human errors, do not define yourself by them as you should not define yourself by your success. We are defined by our spiritual relationship to God as one of His children.

Accept this love and let it pour into you and then though you. Loving yourself will be the best thing you can do, not just for yourself… but for this world!
❤️Ann

Mark 12:30-31 (NIV)~
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.”