God desires for us to love Him first but to also love ourselves. I do not believe one can model their behavior after Christ if they do not love his most prized possession, you! God loves you and wants you to love yourself. Not with a spirit of vanity or haughtiness, but loving and respecting yourself the way God intends for you to. If you feel guilt ridden and bound by feelings of worthlessness, what can you accomplish for the Lord in that mind set? Very little!!! When we first come to God we do so with a spirit of acceptance. We must first accept the fact that we need God in our lives. Without this vital step we surely would be lost for ever. What good would repentance be without the acknowledgement that one needs to be forgiven? Leviticus 19:18 “Never seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone, but love your neighbor as yourself." Holding a grudge against someone only allows a spirit of grudge to take hold of you! If your angry with yourself, you will be angry toward others! If your unwilling to forgive yourself, you will be unwilling to forgive others. One who is critical of others normally is quite critical of them self. If you love God first, then yourself, you will transition that same love towards others. Satan is a liar...he wants to feel our minds with thoughts of worthlessness, shame, and guilt. Holding to something in your past that makes you feel condemned. God did not come to condemn the world but to save it. It has been said that 75% of people who are mentally disturbed would be diagnosed as mentally stable if they could only be convinced that they are forgiven. When God forgives us, He really does just that...HE FORGIVES! Why is that so hard for us to sometimes grasp? Repentance is a changed heart and mind that in return changes us entirely! While praising God, He gives confidence. Through faith in God we become strong. Through Him we gain patience, through Him we obtain wisdom and understanding. Through His love and acceptance we are able to love and accept ourselves and others around us as well!
"I trust in God's unfailing love forever and ever" Psalm 52:8
"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord" Romans 8:38-39
"But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Him even when we were dead in transgressions and sins-it is by grace and mercy you have been saved" Ephesians 5:4-5
"This is love: not that we love God, but that He first love us, and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins" 1 John 4:10
"God is love" 1 John 4:16
These are God given attributes that make you a better you!Let's thank Him and praise Him for who we are through Him!
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