And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind and all your strength. The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these. Mark 12:31-31 NLT
I highlighted “as yourself” because I missed it for years. Many of my friends are self-critical. Perhaps we feel inadequate because of the home-improvement shows featuring beautiful people living in flawless homes. We are bombarded with advice on how to live the best life. Maybe we feel insufficient because others seem to have it all. Believe me. They don’t. None of us do.
A friend recently said she feels defeated because she’s already days behind on her schedule to read the entire Bible in a year. Nowhere in scripture are we instructed to read the entire Bible within a year? Sometimes, all I have time to do is meditate on one verse. I can rush through reading a chapter to meet a daily goal, but if I don’t take the time for the words to filter to my heart, I’m wasting my time. This woman is a doctor, a mom, and she writes in her spare time. I pray she will LOVE herself because I know God loves her. I think she’s comparable to Wonder Woman and doesn’t realize it.
Another friend berated herself because she didn’t work on her manuscript. She’s a mother, a teacher, and suffers from a serious medical condition. God has blessed her with two of the most important jobs on earth – being a mom and a teacher. I know God planted a story in her heart, and she will find time to put it on paper, in His time. I pray she will look in the mirror today and say, “I love you.”
Consider the most unpleasant person you know. Do you think this person loves themselves? I believe there’s a direct correlation between how much we love ourselves and our ability to love God and others. Please take a moment and consider how wonderful, talented, and unique you are. You are precious in His sight.
Today is Valentines Day and my love message to you is to LOVE yourself. If you feel unloved, consider God loves you so much He sent His son to die for you. My prayer and hope for you today is you feel His love and it’s reflected in all you do.
Hugs and love from me. Happy Valentines Day!
