Love Yourself As God Loves You

 

It’s college football season. On Saturday, I’ll usually watch a game on TV for awhile even if I’m not rooting for either team. I enjoy watching a team make a big comeback when it looks like all hope is lost. It’s amazing how, with a little belief and confidence in themselves, a team can turn everything around.

 

In my last post, I talked about Jesus’ commandment to love our neighbor as ourselves. It presumes that we love ourselves. That’s true for most of us but some people live as though they don’t. They beat themselves up over what they’ve done in the past or continue to engage in self-destructive behavior. They don’t see any way that they can be loved, by themselves or anyone else, even God. They have lost hope. There are others who are doing fine except for a specific area in their lives where they feel defeated and hopeless.

 

God loves us and doesn’t want to see us lost in despair. He wants us to make a comeback, to be restored. We begin by recognizing that “I am somebody cause God don’t make no junk” (attributed to Ethel Waters). Think about it - We are God’s children! His love is unconditional. It’s a matter of grace, not to be earned but to be accepted.

 

Our attitude has much to do with the success of our comeback. We must believe that it’s possible for us to climb out of the hole that we are in. The Prodigal Son realized that he was, in fact, a son, and that he could go back to his father, despite what he had done. Like the father in the parable, God is eagerly looking for us on the horizon, awaiting our return.

 

There are things that we can do to facilitate our comeback.

 

1. Forgive yourself. We are forgiven by the blood of Jesus. Accept it and be gentle in your forgiveness.

 

2. Be patient with yourself. It’s possible you’ll take the express elevator to your new self but it’s more likely that you’ll have to climb the stairs and take a few detours before you get there.

 

3. Draw near to God in prayer, word, and spirit. Draw on His power. Feel His presence around you, a presence that lifts you up. God tells us, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

 

4. Don’t go there! Not physically, mentally, or spiritually. Keep away from anything that is harmful to you, anything that could derail your comeback. Paul advises us to flee from that which could entrap us.

 

5. Be good to yourself. Don’t let Satan drag you down. Banish him in the name and power of Jesus. Focus on the positive. Be like the psalmist who said, “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well” (Psalm 139:14). You belong to God, you are His handiwork, treat it well.

 

There are many helpful books and online articles that can aid you in your comeback. As always, seek Christian counseling if you continue to feel overwhelmed or down.