Boundaries Are Blessings by Healthy by DesignSample

Loving Yourself

Devotion

For years I always took this verse as a third unspoken commandment that went something like this: 'To love your neighbor, you must first love yourself.' But the more I studied, the more I realized that there was something wrong with this principle.

First of all, I knew how I often felt about myself, which was less than stellar, so I didn't think that's how God wanted me to love my neighbor.

Secondly, this verse seems to stand alone because there is nowhere else in the Bible that tells us to love ourselves, or at least in my worldly definition of love.

The Biblical definition of Love is very different from the world's. Biblical Love is selfless, sacrificial, and unconditional; whereas, the world’s definition of love is characterized by pleasing ourselves. It's defined by the pursuit of one’s own well-being and happiness while avoiding shame and insecurity.

Nowhere in the Bible are we called to pursue our own pleasures. In fact, Timothy 3:2-4 warns us that in the last days, people will be “lovers of self ... rather than lovers of God.”

So how are we to love ourselves, and therefore, love our neighbors?

We start by understanding that Biblical Love is not a feeling. It's a fact that is based on what God's Word tells us about ourselves. Self-love is a reflection of accepting God's Love.

We find our joy in the Lord: “in [God’s] presence there is fullness of joy" (Psalm 16:11).
We find our pleasures in the Lord: "at [his] right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11).
We are "fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14).

Since we are created in God's Image, it is only when we start to see ourselves through the eyes of God's Word that we will be able to love ourselves. It's only then that we will delight in His Creation, not because of how loving we are, but because we know how much He loves us.

When we ground our love for ourselves in Christ, all the pressure is gone. We don't have to learn how to love ourselves but rather use the Word of God to remind us of who we are. It does not have to be based on our feelings which are pretty fickle but based solely on Truth.

Take a look at how unhealthy boundaries often reflect a weak sense of our own identity and lack of Godly Love for ourselves:

We don't maintain our boundaries because ...

We feel powerless in our ability to make decisions and stick to them. As a result, we overstep our boundaries or rely on other people's boundaries to define us.

We self-sabotage or procrastinate on improving our health because ...

We have anxiety about our ability to succeed. But when we can be assured that our success is dependent on God and our ability to trust Him and accept His Love, then we no longer have to worry about our fear of failure.

We don't maintain our boundaries because ...

We don’t feel worthy of having what we want, but it’s the Love of God that fills us with our self-worth.

We don’t maintain our boundaries because ...

We don’t have the mindset and the belief in ourselves to see things through to the end. It’s God’s Love for us that sustains us throughout the hard times and helps us fix our eyes on Him and not on our problems. When we look to Him, He only shows us solutions.

When you feel like you don't have the strength to maintain your boundaries, God’s Love gives you the strength and courage to put one foot in front of the other when you don’t feel like moving, or when you’re paralyzed with fear, and you don’t know what direction to take.

When you get frustrated on the journey and don’t understand the process, God’s Love fills your spirit and saturates you with wisdom and knowledge. He provides you with Godly Strategies that you could never have imagined in your own strength.

It’s God’s Love that fills you and encourages you to be the best version of yourself as He allows you to see yourself; not as you see yourself, or as the world sees you, but as He sees you—whole and complete, lacking nothing.

Reflect

1. How have you been focusing on trying to love yourself, and how have these efforts fallen short?

2. Have you ever thought about how you love your neighbor as yourself? What does that look like?

3. How is God calling you to look past yourself and see how loved you are from His Eyes?

Worship and Prayer

"Dear Lord, thank You for filling me with Your Love. I've spent so much time trying unsuccessfully to learn how to love myself. I've read all the self-help books. I've tried to dress better and keep my hair and face looking presentable, but that "not good enough" feeling is always there. It's always reminding me that I will never be good enough, never be pretty enough, never be confident enough, and never thin enough. Thank You for reminding me that I don't have to learn how to love myself. What a relief! It's Your Love that fills me! It's Your Love that sustains me and gives me confidence. Your Grace is sufficient for me, and my weakness is made perfect in Your Strength. I feel such a pressure lifted as I say these words. So, today, I find my joy, my freedom, my peace, my beauty, and my love in You, and for this, I'm grateful. In Your Name, I pray. Amen!"

I pray that you will live in excellent health. To find our books, resources, or to sign up for our weekly newsletter to help you discover weight loss, God's Way, go to https://cathymorenzie.com/yv.