Love Yourself
Self-love is being driven by satisfying the lust of your flesh. That is not what the Bible defines as love. And thankfully, we are told in at least nine verses to “love yourself!”
Love Defined
First, we need to see that love is not just a feeling but even more importantly, an action. We can control our feelings! But first, we have to stop letting our emotions lead us and start leading ourselves. This is not hard, but it does require determination, training/renewing our minds, and diligence.
Love Yourself As God Loves You:
- love is patient,
- kind,
- it is not jealous;
- love does not brag,
- it is not arrogant. – 1Co 13:4 NASB20
- does not act disgracefully,
- it does not seek its own [benefit;]
- is not provoked,
- does not keep an account of a wrong [suffered,] – 1Co 13:5 NASB20
- it does not rejoice in unrighteousness,
- but rejoices with the truth; – 1Co 13:6 NASB20
- it keeps every confidence,
- love believes all things,
- hopes all things,
- endures all things. – 1Co 13:7 NASB20
- God is love (1 John 4:8, 16)
- (1 Corinthians 13:4-7 KJV, 1 Co 13:4-7 NKJV, 1 Co 13:4-7 NIV)
Love Your Neighbor As You Love Yourself!
Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I [am] the LORD. – Lev 19:18 KJV
It is crucial to realize that God does not avenge Himself. He does not hold a grudge against His children. And He wants you to love yourself and your neighbor as He loves you!
Love Freely
[But] the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I [am] the LORD your God. – Lev 19:34 KJV
Once we actually define love as an action, we realize that we can choose to take action. Yes, whether we feel like it or not. We are not trusting our feelings. Again we don’t have to trust people to love them. And most importantly, we can love people who don’t even like us.
Honor
Honour thy father and [thy] mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. – Mat 19:19 KJV
We can honor people whether we think they deserve it or not when we realize how much God loves us. When we realize that we can control our actions, we can make our feelings line up. You can love your neighbor and love yourself when you get a revelation of the love of God.
Love God and Your Neighbor
And the second [is] like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. – Mat 22:39 KJV
Again, love your neighbor as you love yourself. Are you patient with yourself? God is patient with you!
And the second [is] like, [namely] this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. – Mar 12:31 KJV
The greatest commandment is to love God. How do you love God? Keep His commandments.
Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he [is] God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations; – Deu 7:9 KJV
But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. – 1Jo 2:5 KJV
The second is like it! Love your neighbor as you love yourself!
And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. – Luk 10:27 KJV
Religion would have you think that you are not supposed to love and take care of yourself. The Bible is very specific about how you should do both. The lies of the enemy would have pastors neglect themselves and their families. This is why we see so much suicide and rebellion, especially in pastors and their families. It is wrong! It is demonic. Jesus didn’t come to condemn but to save (John 3:17).
My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation. – Jas 3:1 KJV
Guilt, shame, condemnation, misjudgment, sickness, death, and sin are all works of the thief who comes to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). Hell was meant for the devil and his followers! Why wouldn’t you want to submit to God who wants you wealthy, healthy, and wise? Do you really want what the devil has to offer? Lies, poverty, stupidity, addiction, depression, etc.
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. – Jas 4:7 KJV
Resist the devil by loving God, your neighbor, and yourself!
God Loves You and Your Neighbor
For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if [there be] any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. – Rom 13:9 KJV
When you realize how much God loves you, you will not want to hurt another person ever again. God doesn’t want us doing these things to ourselves, our families, and each other because He loves us. He doesn’t want us to hurt one another.
Your Purpose is to “BeLoved” and to Be Love
God wants to bless us so that we may be a blessing to others.
Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. – 3Jo 1:2 KJV
Jeremiah 29:11 tells us that God has a plan for our lives. Revelation 12:11 reveals the rest of the story. We overcome God’s enemy and ours (Revelation 12:10) by the blood of the Lamb, the word of our testimony, and having no fear! Perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18).
Fulfill the Law!
For all the law is fulfilled in one word, [even] in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. – Gal 5:14 KJV
If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: – Jas 2:8 KJV
Love yourself and your neighbor! God is patient with you and wants you to be patient with yourself and your neighbor. He is kind to us! He doesn’t even think evil and doesn’t keep a record of ours. Love covers sin (Proverbs 10:12, 17:9). How much gossip have you participated in today?
If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? – 1Jo 4:20 KJV
Know God, Love Naturally
Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. – 1Jo 4:7 KJV
God knew of the two greatest commands we couldn’t even get the first one right. And so He damned us all to hell? NO!
Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son [to be] the propitiation for our sins. – 1Jo 4:10 KJV
He sent Jesus to save the whole world (John 3:16-17).
No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. – 1Jo 4:12 KJV
If we are patient, kind, not arrogant or rude, and all those other good things that God is, we can be just like Him! Then his perfect love that casts out all fear can be perfect in us (2 Timothy 3:17)! Hallelujah! Amen!
Keep His Commandments (Matthew 11:30)
For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. – 1Jo 5:3 KJV
Keep is defined as follows at Blue Letter Bible:
- to attend to carefully, take care of
- to guard
- metaph. to keep, one in the state in which he is
- to observe
- to reserve: to undergo something
How about that! Guard His commandments. Observe them. Treasure them in your heart! Why? Because He is for you. Everything He commands is for the wealth, health, wisdom, knowledge, and understanding of His children. For us to possess every good and perfect gift. To be loved and to be blessed to love and be a blessing to others in Jesus’ name! To Him be the glory!!! Hallelujah!