Love Yourself?

[He giveth more grace]

..from what I've learned, men tend to get their self worth from their performance.

[JTC]

Hi Neb, well yes, that's part of what I meant that men get their sense of self worth from what they can do, and what they know. So I don't disagree. But for me, until both parents were long gone, I got my sense of self worth from them. And they both considered me a stupid, useless, good for nothing, sorry excuse for a person. However, I proved to myself I am not that at all. I proved it by how i handled and survived the Sandy super storm. I know neither one of them would have ever thought I could do what I did. But I've been proving this for the last 10 years. However, in my mind is still the self image they gave me. So men are not immune to this neither. But it's much easier for me to spread the love of God to others, now that I no longer have someone telling me, almost daily, how worthless I am.

[nebula]

Understood JTC.

Blessings on getting those negative thoughts replaced with the Lord's words of life.

[Matthitjah]

As someone who has been struggling with self-hatred, the Lord recently showed me that "my flesh" is not me. Hating my flesh, my sin, my sin nature, is not hating myself. Even more, you can and should hate your flesh without hating yourself.

Sis, wouldn't that be the nature of your flesh?

I don't quite understand what you are getting at Nebula? I think I see where you are going with the flesh thing, but as Matthitjah says, is it not one and the same thing?

I am not understanding what you are confused about.

Maybe you are not understanding self-hatred? I hate myself because I speak my mind and discover my words hurt someone. I hate myself because I respond in judgment rather than grace. I hate myself because I don't love as Jesus loved, and in many ways still don't know how to. I hate myself because I'm a louse. I hate myself because I keep messing up. I hate myself because . . . .

Now, can I truly be patient with someone else when I can't be patient with myself?

Can I show grace to another where I can't show grace to myself?

We may appear as if we are extending grace and forgiveness, but the truth is that we are doormats allowing people to plow over us and resentment is growing in us like mildew in the forgotten parts of the basement.

So what the Lord showed me was that I need to hate what is the "flesh" that needs to be overcome without seeing myself as "the flesh" - view the flesh as a parasite or a virus rather than a part of me.

Your flesh is an integral part of you. I'm not understanding you sis.

Maybe you're saying that you should beat it into submission and treat it harshly as Paul did?

The thing that I come away with is this though;

Ro 5:20

Moreover the law entered, that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:

A man is told to Love his wife for she is part of him. She is basically his flesh, bone of his bone. She being the weaker of the two is to be covered with much more Grace but she is never called a virus.

Can you expound on what you are saying because I want to get what you are saying?

Sin is an unwanted intruder much like a virus but God came to completely liberate you of its effects. Even so, He has come that we might have life and have it abundently. His desire has been to raise us up and back to what we were meant to be and that includes bodily according to scripture.

Edited to add;

I understand that we are to treat our Flesh harshly in regards to it's opposition to Christ. However, it is the pen-ultimate act of worship to willfully bend our Flesh finitely and Worship the Lord in a poem, a song, a painting, or even in feeding another human being that expresses our Love for Christ. In this regard our Flesh is a gift from God as we make it the willing subject of Christ. In that respect I don't get the whole virus thing and we certainly can't divorce ourselves from the Flesh. The greatest thing we can do with it is make Christ it's Master.

Peace,

Dave

[gdemoss]

As someone who has been struggling with self-hatred, the Lord recently showed me that "my flesh" is not me. Hating my flesh, my sin, my sin nature, is not hating myself. Even more, you can and should hate your flesh without hating yourself.

Sis, wouldn't that be the nature of your flesh?

I don't quite understand what you are getting at Nebula? I think I see where you are going with the flesh thing, but as Matthitjah says, is it not one and the same thing?

I am not understanding what you are confused about.

Maybe you are not understanding self-hatred? I hate myself because I speak my mind and discover my words hurt someone. I hate myself because I respond in judgment rather than grace. I hate myself because I don't love as Jesus loved, and in many ways still don't know how to. I hate myself because I'm a louse. I hate myself because I keep messing up. I hate myself because . . . .

Now, can I truly be patient with someone else when I can't be patient with myself?

Can I show grace to another where I can't show grace to myself?

We may appear as if we are extending grace and forgiveness, but the truth is that we are doormats allowing people to plow over us and resentment is growing in us like mildew in the forgotten parts of the basement.

So what the Lord showed me was that I need to hate what is the "flesh" that needs to be overcome without seeing myself as "the flesh" - view the flesh as a parasite or a virus rather than a part of me.

Absolutely Beautiful! Nebula, your perfectly on track here. Once I learned that I was not the flesh, nor the sin dwelling in my flesh, I was on the right side of the battle field! Today, I simply rebuke him when he speaks. Being able to recognize the difference between thoughts offered to you and your own personal thoughts is a major part of the victory over sin in your life. Guard your heart, for out of it proceed all the issues of life. May the Lord take you to the next level of understanding the war on sin in you and in me, that you might excel in your walk with him, knowing the truth and being set free from sin.

God bless you Nebula!

[Matthitjah]

As someone who has been struggling with self-hatred, the Lord recently showed me that "my flesh" is not me. Hating my flesh, my sin, my sin nature, is not hating myself. Even more, you can and should hate your flesh without hating yourself.

Sis, wouldn't that be the nature of your flesh?

I don't quite understand what you are getting at Nebula? I think I see where you are going with the flesh thing, but as Matthitjah says, is it not one and the same thing?

I am not understanding what you are confused about.

Maybe you are not understanding self-hatred? I hate myself because I speak my mind and discover my words hurt someone. I hate myself because I respond in judgment rather than grace. I hate myself because I don't love as Jesus loved, and in many ways still don't know how to. I hate myself because I'm a louse. I hate myself because I keep messing up. I hate myself because . . . .

Now, can I truly be patient with someone else when I can't be patient with myself?

Can I show grace to another where I can't show grace to myself?

We may appear as if we are extending grace and forgiveness, but the truth is that we are doormats allowing people to plow over us and resentment is growing in us like mildew in the forgotten parts of the basement.

So what the Lord showed me was that I need to hate what is the "flesh" that needs to be overcome without seeing myself as "the flesh" - view the flesh as a parasite or a virus rather than a part of me.

Absolutely Beautiful! Nebula, your perfectly on track here. Once I learned that I was not the flesh, nor the sin dwelling in my flesh, I was on the right side of the battle field! Today, I simply rebuke him when he speaks. Being able to recognize the difference between thoughts offered to you and your own personal thoughts is a major part of the victory over sin in your life. Guard your heart, for out of it proceed all the issues of life. May the Lord take you to the next level of understanding the war on sin in you and in me, that you might excel in your walk with him, knowing the truth and being set free from sin.

God bless you Nebula!

However, you are your Flesh. It is an integral part of your Triune nature. You cannot divorce yourself from it. Sin is the virus and it is slowly killing the Flesh. It has been since it came into the world through a willful act of transgression and disobedience. The ultimate disgrace for it then is to Master it, make it obey, and use it to Bless, in Christ Jesus of course.

Sincerely, I have a question, did God come to completely Liberate you from the cursed effect of sin?

[nebula]

Your flesh is an integral part of you. I'm not understanding you sis.

Do you define yourself by your sin nature?

When you look into the mirror, do you see all your wickedness, and that is all you see?

[gdemoss]

As someone who has been struggling with self-hatred, the Lord recently showed me that "my flesh" is not me. Hating my flesh, my sin, my sin nature, is not hating myself. Even more, you can and should hate your flesh without hating yourself.

Sis, wouldn't that be the nature of your flesh?

I don't quite understand what you are getting at Nebula? I think I see where you are going with the flesh thing, but as Matthitjah says, is it not one and the same thing?

I am not understanding what you are confused about.

Maybe you are not understanding self-hatred? I hate myself because I speak my mind and discover my words hurt someone. I hate myself because I respond in judgment rather than grace. I hate myself because I don't love as Jesus loved, and in many ways still don't know how to. I hate myself because I'm a louse. I hate myself because I keep messing up. I hate myself because . . . .

Now, can I truly be patient with someone else when I can't be patient with myself?

Can I show grace to another where I can't show grace to myself?

We may appear as if we are extending grace and forgiveness, but the truth is that we are doormats allowing people to plow over us and resentment is growing in us like mildew in the forgotten parts of the basement.

So what the Lord showed me was that I need to hate what is the "flesh" that needs to be overcome without seeing myself as "the flesh" - view the flesh as a parasite or a virus rather than a part of me.

Absolutely Beautiful! Nebula, your perfectly on track here. Once I learned that I was not the flesh, nor the sin dwelling in my flesh, I was on the right side of the battle field! Today, I simply rebuke him when he speaks. Being able to recognize the difference between thoughts offered to you and your own personal thoughts is a major part of the victory over sin in your life. Guard your heart, for out of it proceed all the issues of life. May the Lord take you to the next level of understanding the war on sin in you and in me, that you might excel in your walk with him, knowing the truth and being set free from sin.

God bless you Nebula!

However, you are your Flesh. It is an integral part of your Triune nature. Sin is the virus and it is slowly killing the Flesh. it has been since it came into the world through a willful act of transgression and disobedience. The ultimate disgarce for it then is to Master it, make it obey, and use it to Bless, in Christ Jesus of course.

Sincerely, I have a question, did God come to completely Liberate you from the cursed effect of sin?

Dave, your response is the expected one that I receive quite often. The topic of discussion is to love oneself. Please stay on topic.

[CAP73]

I don't love myself, but I'm a very kind, giving person. I put everyone's needs above my own. I'm not saying that to brag, I just wonder if that is the same as loving everyone.

[Matthitjah]

Your flesh is an integral part of you. I'm not understanding you sis.

Do you define yourself by your sin nature?

When you look into the mirror, do you see all your wickedness, and that is all you see?

When I look in the mirror I see a man that God Loves and has forgiven.

I'm not chiding you. I don't get what you are saying. Your Flesh'es nature is tainted by sin, but God came to Liberate you of it's influence. Now your Flesh has been Mastered by God. In Christ you are a new man/woman. You have been crucified, therefore, you no longer exist.

Your sin nature no lonegr has any control over you. Yes, you can hate your sin nature but you can't hate yourself. You can hate the effects that the sin nature have upon your Flesh but you can't hate your Flesh, it is an integral part of your being and it will be Ressurected to new Life. The Promise is Good. You will stand in your own Flesh and with your own eye's you will see the Face of the Lord.

Should a man hate his wife? Is she a virus?

Even though we are Dark, the Lord finds us Lovely.

Song 1:6

Look not upon me, because I am dark, because the sun has darkened me: my mother's children were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the vineyards; but my own vineyard have I not kept.