Devotion 8.31.18

“And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:31

What are you supposed to do when you don’t love yourself? Some people are filled with self-hatred, self-doubt and are very insecure. This may be the result of negative family upbringing, terrible self-image and body loathing, feeling uneducated compared to others and hating yourself because of it or any number of things.

We are not meant to be people filled with pride and demanding egos but we are also not supposed to hate ourselves. We are made in the image of God and too often people will judge themselves according to others and will often take what negative comments that they have received in life and begin to believe them.

Many people that struggle with self-loathing are unable to escape from all of the self-sabotaging behaviors that just make their lives worse than they imagine that they are. In order to get out of that cycle of negativity you must cling to the truth of God and base your self-analysis on His standards and not those that you find in the world or in your head. God gave His Son so that we could find forgiveness for our sins. That means that whatever lies in your past is behind you and if you choose to follow Jesus than you start brand new each day. God is filled with compassion and mercy and wants us to love ourselves enough to choose to live our lives without sin and with devotion to Him.

You are more than what the magazines say, you are more than what your ex says and you are more than what you yourself believes. You are a child of God and full of hope and love. You are capable of inspiring faith in others and of being a shoulder to cry on for a friend. You are worthy of love and you are worthy of health. You are smart and creative and able to share joy. You are more valuable than you realize and your soul is precious to God who wants you to believe in Jesus which means you should believe in yourself because each of us has a purpose here on earth and you are needed to fulfill that purpose.

“And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9

LOVE THAT CROSS, PASTOR JOHN

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