Love Yourself

Copyright 2010 Joan Saunders

Matthew 22 (New International Version)

39And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'

Thou shalt love your neighbor as a turnip?

Thou shalt love your neighbor as a thorn in the side?
Thou shalt love your neighbor as a piece of chocolate cake?

Do you love yourself? You need to love yourself before you can fulfill this second
greatest commandment.

How do you show love for yourself? Do you love getting a massage? Maybe you should
rub someone else’s back. Do you love being forgiven? Being treated with respect? Are
there acts of love and respect that you give yourself and expect others to give you?

Luke 17 (New International Version)

3So watch yourselves.
"If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. 4If he sins against
you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, 'I repent,' forgive
him."

Sometimes we need to remember this love your neighbor as yourself and think about the
implications. If we need to forgive ourselves seven times in a day, or seventy times
seven, then we should do it. Certainly, if we are upset with ourselves there is desire for
repentance.

And certainly God forgives us:

1 John 1 (New American Standard Bible)

9If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse
us from all unrighteousness.

Matthew 6 (New American Standard Bible)

12'And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
14"For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also
forgive you.
15"But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your
transgressions.

This says that if we forgive men, God will forgive us. Well, aren't you yourself a man (or
woman - it's obviously mankind which is meant here)? Isn't it required that you forgive
you?
Luke 6 (New International Version)
37"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be
condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.

Don’t judge yourself. Don’t condemn yourself. Forgive yourself. You deserve it. If you
are living in guilt, then obviously you are sorry. Your heart is changed, and you are
repenting – even if you backslide 7 times or 70 x 7 times in a day.

Romans 8 (New International Version)

36As it is written:
"For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." 37No, in all these things we are more
than conquerors through him who loved us. 38For I am convinced that neither death nor
life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,
39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us
from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

If God loves us so much, who are we to be down on ourselves?