Love Like You've Never Been Hurt By Jentezen FranklinSample

Day Four

Learn to Love Yourself First

Scripture:  Jeremiah 31:3-4

God wants to restore you. He wants to offer you the ring of acceptance. He wants to reconcile you to the Kingdom. He wants to invite you to sit at His table. As it is written in Isaiah 61:7, “Instead of shame . . . you will enjoy a double share of honor.”

Once we get ahold of the truth of grace, not only does it empower us to forgive and love ourselves, it should also prompt us to forgive and love others. Because, let’s be honest, there’s a Prodigal in all of us. And sometimes it takes learning to love through a mess to get to the miracle.

You can read the story of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15, let’s put it in modern times. You may relate to the following scenario.

Lisa was raised in the church. Her parents were great people who loved Lisa and wanted only the best for their daughter. She made the mistake of her life when she began to date Bill. After several months, Lisa was head over heels in love and wanted to marry him.

Lisa knew he had a drinking problem. He also had lots of excuses. She knew he did not like to go to church with her much, but she convinced herself that she could change him. Despite her pastor’s warnings and her parents’ pleadings, she went ahead and married him. About a year and a half later, she was in a living hell.

Bill’s drinking evolved into physical abuse, and Lisa filed for divorce. She was heartbroken. She had ignored all the warning signs. Any time children of God marry children of the devil, they are going to have trouble with their father-in-law.

The good news is, God never gives up on us. Recovering from bad choices you have made can be a heart-wrenching experience, but God is always ready to restore you, to give you a new start.

The Big Idea:  Learning to love others begins by learning to love yourself.