"Love Yourself"

Reflections4Life™ February 10, 2019

“Love Yourself”

“I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.” Psalm 139:14 

Scripture Contemplation: Psalm 139; Matthew 22; Ephesians 5; 1 Corinthians 13; 2 Corinthians 12; 1 John 4:16

©Ruthe McDonald.

I cannot begin to express how important it is to love yourself. When you love yourself, the chances of you allowing anyone to treat you less than you deserve are slim to none. How can we say we love God, who resides in us, and not love ourselves, when God Himself, has chosen us? What’s not to love? We have to begin to see ourselves through the eyes of God and stop loving ourselves based on what we see in the mirror and hear from others. Loving yourself is a heart and soul matter, and if you allow God in, His love changes everything.

I decree that this week’s Reflections will be a continued source of encouragement and inspiration for your heart mind and soul. Let this week fill your hearts with the words and love of our heavenly Father. Allow His love to blanket you and soothe all the rough and hurting places; bringing you comfort and a new perspective. Allow the Father to show you truly how to love yourself; to love yourself without pompousness or the exclusion of others but bringing a healthy dose of self-love and confidence.

Admittedly, there are those who have loved themselves and still found themselves in relationships that nearly destroyed them. Why? Because, although they loved themselves, they allowed their love for that person to supersede the love and concern they had for themselves. It is a beautiful thing to love with all your heart and soul, to give your all to another, not holding back. However, it is even better when you love yourself so much, that you don't forget to take care of your needs and recognize when you are being treated less than you deserve.

Love can be blind. Blind to the faults of others. And blind and deaf to our mind screaming for us to wake up and pay attention to those signals that are warning us about the danger. It may sound selfish and contrary to what you may have heard and been taught in the past; but after God, you must always put yourself first. You must take care of self, first. Love yourself the best first. At the end of the day, if you are not all right, no one else will be. And if you don't put yourself first, nine times out of ten, you will find yourself at the end of a relationship, used, abused, broken, burned out, not knowing who you are and how you got there.

I speak to you Beloved, from my truth. I speak from experience, not merely observations. If I can save you at least one-tenth of the heartache I have endured and experienced, then what I endured was not in vain but for a greater purpose. Love yourself, Beloved.

You know what else I have learned? 1. You may not see everyone’s intentions in the beginning—God may have designed it that way—but when it is time for the truth to be revealed, you can count on God making that known. That usually occurs when God is ushering you to a new level in your life’s journey. 2. Healthy self-love is one of the most beautiful and attractive things to witness in a person. Not arrogance or pompousness, but self-assuredness, a confidence that you can handle whatever comes at you, especially with God on your side, and the ability to recognize when others no longer love you, or only desire to use you, and those that just don’t deserve a relationship with you. And when people’s intentions and hearts have changed.

My Beloveds, may the spirit of peace and prosperity find permanent rest in your lives. I decree that every good thing that God has ordained for your life will become evident to you. My self-love is not predicated on someone else's opinions or thoughts of me. Their opinion no longer takes up space; a space that is reserved for the encouraging and purposeful words of my Creator and the voice of self that has been developed and strengthened over the years of intimacy with God. You are blessed. Now go … and be a blessing!

©2019. Ruthe McDonald. All Rights Reserved.