Loving Yourself

My idea with the ligulas’ was to give them away to other people who needed encouragement.  However, last month I wound up in a deep funk for several days.   Everything irritated me and I was very down on myself (it had a little to do with pms!).   I got to a point where I realized that I needed to give a liluga to myself.  

We are all trying to do so much these days.  I can’t love others until I love myself.  I can’t love myself until I love the Lord my God.  When a Pharisee asked Jesus which is the greatest commandment in the Law, he replied:

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.  All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Matthew 28:36-40

Love your neighbor as yourself.  I have to ask, how many people really love themselves?  I know there are hundreds of things I would love to change about myself.  My personality, my looks, my circumstances, etc.  Does this mean I do not love myself?   Does loving yourself mean you are happy with everything in your life?  Never being jealous of anyone else??   These are some thoughts that I have been pondering lately.

When I’m at a low point, it makes me think about my faith and my relationship with God.  Do I really love God and believe that He loves me?  Does my life reflect what I believe?  My heart wants to serve the Lord and to give to others.  I want to be able to serve because I love others, not because I think it will earn me brownie points with God.  Of course, in order to love others, I must love myself.  I have to be content with who I am in Christ and believe I am lovable.  Otherwise my service to others will be void of love.  And I think people can tell the difference.  I do believe that the more we give of ourselves to others, the less we think about ourselves and our needs.  Perhaps letting go of “me” actually helps me to be more content with myself and my circumstances, which results in my loving myself more. 

That said, I am putting a liluga on my kitchen window sill to not only remind me that God loves me, but to love myself.