Because God loves you, it’s okay to love yourself.
Because God loves you, “Do you really mean God is NEVER not pleased with me? No matter what?”
This question made us all stop and listen hard.
Last night I sat in class. We talked about our concept of God, drawing pictures of what we thought about God when we were children.
Many of us (as children) thought of God as one who was only pleased with good behavior. That’s not theologically true, but it’s a common message kids absorb from parents and teachers–being good brings approval. Being bad brings disapproval. Our concept of God is often influenced by relationships with parents or other significant adults.
Diving deeper into our discussion, we talked about the extravagant love of God. “God’s love for you is not tied to performance. He loves you for who you are, not what you do or don’t do.”
We know this, but there’s so much more to discover through a knowing that comes through revelation and Spirit-given-gut-insight.
Next to me, a friend listened to our conversation. All of a sudden, she inhaled deep and looked up with the wonder that comes when God moves our hearts to a new understanding. That’s when she asked her question.
[tweetthis hidden_hashtags=”#Godlovesyou #AcceptedbyGod”]”Do you really mean God is NEVER not pleased with me? No matter what? Really, really, REALLY?”[/tweetthis]
In a flash, a classroom of students became a sanctuary, holy and alive as God touched each one of us.Time expanded beyond it’s borders into the eternal. She put audible words to that question we’ve all struggled with at some point–does God really, really, REALLY love me no matter what I do or don’t do?
Overwhelmed, she wept hot, cleansing tears in the midst of a sacred hush. Uncontainable, love spilled over as gratitude ran down her cheeks, leaving wet marks on her drawing. Tears marked her receiving this fresh glimpse of God’s love.
Here’s one simple truth:
We can’t separate loving God from loving others and loving ourselves. Love was never meant to be divided up and handed out in portions. Safe in the love of Christ, love is who we are and what we have to give.
[tweetthis twitter_handles=”via@GingHarrington”]Since God loves you so very much, isn’t it time to for you to be okay with loving you?[/tweetthis]
5 powerful ways to care for your soul.
Love God with your life. The greatest command, the one most important thing God asks of us is to love Him with heart, soul, mind, and strength. The more fully we grasp the wonder of God’s love, the more we love Him. And the more we can accept and love ourselves.(Mark 12:29-31).
Let go of negative thinking. God’s guide for good thoughts applies to how you think about yourself. Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. (Phil. 4:8)
Forgive yourself. Why do you say, “I can’t forgive myself,” when God has forgiven and forgotten? Accept God’s forgiveness by forgiving yourself. Hold onto the truth rather than feelings of guilt. (Psalm 103:12, Jeremiah 31:34)
Forgive others. Refusing to forgive others is like drinking poison and expecting someone else to die. Unforgiveness holds you captive (Ephesians 4:32, Mark 11:25).
Believe God pleased with the work he is doing in you. “…for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. Secure in the love of God, you can release the fear that God is disappointed with you. (Phil. 2:13, Zephaniah 3:17)
Make the most of your days by loving God, loving others, and loving yourself. The best way to care for our souls is to take God’s greatest commands to heart: 1 Corinthians 3:16
Love God + love your neighbor + love yourself =
Soul care that makes the difference.
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I’d love to hear from you. Take a sec to say hi in the comments.
Other posts in this series:
To the One Who’s Forgotten She Matters: 10 Ways to Love Yourself
So glad you're here. I help busy women—gals like you— build healthy habits for living well with biblical wisdom and practical steps to deepen your faith, increase your hope, and thrive in your purpose.
So, SO good and refreshing, Ginger! I have struggled with these same questions A LOT! And struggle to keep my kids from learning the wrong truths, too! Blessings to you!
Yes, it’s hard enough to get rock solid on these truths for ourselves. It’s a joy and a challenge to encourage and teach our kids to ground their identity in Christ. This is one thing no one else can do for you!
The extravagant love of God is overwhelming and beautiful. Sometimes it’s hard to believe that God is never disappointed in me, but it’s true…he isn’t. Thank you for these encouraging words, Ginger.
Welcome, Dawn. So glad you’ve been encouraged by these truths today. It can be hard to believe, for we often value performance over other things. Thanks for visiting today!
This question is so raw and pointed. Yes. We all long to hear with Jesus “this is my child, with whom I am well-pleased!” Thanks for pointing out self-love as an aspect of love of God and others. When we separate them, self-love is often perverted into something else.
Yes, loving ourselves can be confusing. Separating flesh from spirit doesn’t come naturally. In the flesh, self-love can be downgraded into selfishness, pride, control, and many other motivations of the flesh. Learning to love and accept ourselves in a godly way is an important part of spiritual maturity. Thanks for joining the conversation today, Bethany!
this is beautiful! I wrote about a similar topic this week, but you really brought it to life with your story of the woman who burst into tears..don’t you love the magnificent of God, who cuts through our small minded view of Him, the awesome,omnipotent love of our lives who gives more than we can imagine!! Loved this today!
Here’s to diving into similar topics! I love the way God moves through the blogosphere! I love that God cherishes so much that he really cares that we understand how much he loves us. Wow-za!
I love this, Ginger. I recently taught on this at our church. It’s one of my favorite topics. I’m signing up and can’t wait to get your e-book! 🙂
Yay! Welcome! So glad you’re choosing to hang out here. I value your heart and hope you continue to find truth that inspires you. Thanks for subscribing, Betsy;) Enjoy your ebook.
Ginger – this is such a good post, with fabulous truths. I have always had a tough time taking care of me, I always put others first and sacrificed my own soul care… I realized about a year ago that I have to take care of me, if I am to properly care for others. I love that you shared this and I love that you have a free mini e-book too. I am way behind in my comments, but we are neighbors at #CoffeeForYour Heart
Also, I would love if you would consider linking up to my NEW Thursday Party #TuneInThursday it stays open until Sunday. You can find it here: http://debbiekitterman.com/blog/
(Please feel free to delete the link if you feel it is inappropriate to post here).
Ginger, your post was good to read a 2nd time around too. Thank you for linking up to #TuneInThursday, it was an honor to have you share your post with the community there. I hope you will continue to do so each and every Thursday. 🙂
Welcome back, Debbie. I appreciate that you found good content here. Hope you’ve had a great weekend!
Such good reminders here, Ginger! Thanks for linking up at #PorchStories at my place this week.
So glad to see you here today, Kristin. I’ve enjoyed your linkup. Great participation from bloggers.
Ah yes… you are speaking my language here, my friend! LOVE this! xoxo
So glad to have you visit, Karrilee! Your blog is always a breath of fresh air.
Love this! This is exactly what I needed to read at this moment in my life. Thank you so much ♥️
Hi Amber! I’m so glad that these words a strengthening your soul today! Thanks so much for joining me here in this online sacred space. Blessings!