Although a number of places in the Bible contain the command, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 19:19; Galatians 5:14). Over the years I’ve often contemplated that the authors of those various verses took it for granted that everyone ‘loved themselves’. I can recall so many times I my life when I DID NOT love myself. (–especially lately…)
Dr Stanley addresses this topic very well in his Early Light Devotional this morning. He says that no one can fully love the Lord or anyone else unless he loves his own being. This means reverencing oneself as a child of God, created for fellowship with Him.
Dr. Stanley goes on to explain that ALL people are valuable to the Lord. He notes that a believer’s self-worth is rooted in the fact that we have a relationship with God.
Wow…! We are very, very special to God!Love of self is essential to God’s plan for every believer. If You REALLY believe in God and what God is about then You have to love yourself. Whenever I start to get down on myself it’s usually for my bad behavior. When that happens I try to remember the phrase: ‘Despise the Sin but Love the Sinner’.We are to care for ourselves, based upon the fact that He has provided for our salvation, given us the Holy Spirit, and developed a unique plan for our life.
-Dr Charles Stanley, Early Light Devotional, February 15, 2008
Praise God that was Jesus’ attitude…!
T G I F: TODAY GOD IS FIRST!
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