Reverse It First…

Many times the Bible says we should love our neighbors as we love ourselves (Lev 19:18, Mt 5:44, Mt 19:19, Mt 22:39, Mk 12:31, 33, Luke 10:27, Rom 13:9, Gal 5:14, James 2:8) so obviously it is very important to God and part of living our best lives as God intended.

But perhaps we can only best love our neighbors as we love ourselves when we first reverse that and love ourselves as we love our neighbors.

Are you loving yourself as well as you love your neighbor or are you:

·       encouraging someone else if they make a mistake, but beating yourself up for your own mistake?

·       reminding someone feeling down that many people care for them, but telling yourself inaccurately that nobody cares about you?

·       complimenting someone else for their work or attitude, but tearing yourself down?

·       encouraging someone by reminding them of qualities you see in them, but telling yourself that you have nothing to offer others?

·       giving someone else the benefit of the doubt, but assuming the worst about yourself?

The Bible urges us to love your neighbors as we love ourselves, but don’t forget to love yourself as you love your neighbor.  An important step to loving ourselves is to remember how much our Creator and Savior loves us.

·       “You are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household.” Ephesians 2:19

·       “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him.” 1 John 3:1, NIV

·       “The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in His love He will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17, NIV

·       “We are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10, NIV