Loving thyself

[mikado5001]

I have realized I have major self-hatred issues. I have known this, sub-consiously, for a very long time. To deny, anesthetize, the pain I turn to food most of all. I now know that to serve God I cannot continue as I have. I do not believe in Psychiatrists or the like. But am willing to try almost anything. Perhaps my Worthy-Family can help.

So here is the question. How do you love yourself? Mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. I know God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit love me. But that often times does not feel like that is enough. So how do you love yourself?

[refugepsa91]

Now this is just my opinion...it may not work for everyone...

Ok, I have found that before I could even begin to be "comfortable" with myself...I had to love others first...

I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, it is more blessed to give than to receive. Acts 20:35

Volunteer with a local charity...visit the elderly that have no visitors...the joy that comes into your heart doing these things is so overwhelming...and when you give your time to others you begin to feel about yourself what they feel for you...its humbling and uplifting.

Hope this helps,

Love and Blessings,

Angel

[EricH]

Moved from the General Forum to Looking for Advise Forum

[gypc]

Mat 16:24Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

If your in Christ you don't belong to you anymore. Your body is now the temple of God. Follow him by knowing Christ and him crucified and everything else will take care of itself.

[Abigailwc]

Now this is just my opinion...it may not work for everyone...

Ok, I have found that before I could even begin to be "comfortable" with myself...I had to love others first...

I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, it is more blessed to give than to receive. Acts 20:35

Volunteer with a local charity...visit the elderly that have no visitors...the joy that comes into your heart doing these things is so overwhelming...and when you give your time to others you begin to feel about yourself what they feel for you...its humbling and uplifting.

Hope this helps,

Love and Blessings,

Angel

I totally agree with that. In a way, the more we spend time helping those in need, the more we realize how much God has blessed us in many ways. It is indeed very humbling and it deepends our relationship with our Lord.

[salos]

Part of loving ourselves is to take care of ourselves, that is, a reasonable amount of exercise, good eating, proper rest. It also means not being too easy on ourselves or too hard on ourselves.

It helps if we have a sense of humor. It helps if we get in the habit of appreciating what God is doing in other people's lives and in our personal lives.

It helps to remember that even when we blow it, God is faithful. (II Timothy 2:13)

Read Ephesians 1, Philippians 2, and Romans 8 a lot. Read Hebrews 1 to remind yourself how wonderful Jesus is.

Hope this helps, Mary

[Old Hickory]

That is a tough one. I never really thought about loving myself. I regret a lot of things and wish to change some things, but I never really considered whether or not I love me. I've always trusted in Philippians 1:6, that I am a work of the Father being perfected daily daily in Christ Jesus. In the end, I hope to be worthy of His love.

[Guest pixy]

Well, one of the realizations that has been paramount if my quest to "love myself" is that my worth is established in Christ. The New Creation that God has formed me into is a whole person (Colossians 2:9-10). I am complete in Him, not in any of the things the World offers. I think that staying true to your identity in Christ is the only true way to "love yourself."

I have found it helpful to locate scriptures that desribe my identity in Christ, and then make lists from those scriptures that detail out what my response needs to be.

For example...

1 Corinthians 3:16-17 tells you that you are God's temple and that His Spirit lives in you. It also states that God's temple is sacred. A personal list that I can make from this is:

1) Because only Holy things belong in a temple, I need to get my mind off the bad things that depress me. Next time I think about something depressing, I will force myself to focus on God instead.

2) I need to establish healthier eating and exercise patterns (getting a "healthy" friend to help you with this can work well).

3) I need to stop doing some of the worldly things I enjoy... such as listening to Madonna for hours on end... (which I have pretty much stopped )

Another example...

John 15:15-16: "'I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father, I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit that will last.'"

1) Since I am God's friend, I need to treat Him like a friend and spend more time with Him. I need to put a priority on reading my Bible and praying... So, when I get home from work and feel like being lazy, I need to resist that and pick up my Bible and spend some time with God instead.

2) Since I am chosen to bear lasting fruit, I need to put my faith into action. I need to make a list of ways I can serve others and mark those things on my calendar so that I won't *forget* to do them.

And a last example...

2 Timothy 1:7: "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline."

1) Paul tells me in Ephesians 1, that God's power "is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead..." So, the next time I find myself trapped in "I can't" thinking, I need to recognize the power that I can tap into. I can be confident that God will be make me capable to do what all He has asked of me to do.

2) Some ways that I can love this week are being friendly to my neighbors in an effort to establish positive relationships, and being more patient with my family.

3) I need to be more self-disciplined on the weekends. I need to set my alarm on Saturday morning, so that I don't waste the day that God has given me, and so that I don't feel rushed and panicked about getting things accomplished.

[Guest lovinghim4ever]

It helps if we have a sense of humor.

I agree. A sense of humor can do wonders.

One of my FAVORITE scriptures is Proverbs 17:22, "A merry heart does good like medicine."

I was a perfectionist, and I was so hard on myself that no one could stand to be around me; not even me sometimes.

If I made a mistake I would get depressed and condemn myself.

If others made mistakes I would get angry and condemn them with a judgmental attitude.

I don't know if this will make any sense, but it wasn't until I began to laugh at myself that I began to really love myself.

Now, I have a great sense of humor. I love to laugh and make others laugh, but I also have balance.

Laugh when appropriate. Be serious when needed. Balance is key.

I had to love myself before I could really love others.

Well, that's just how I began to love myself.

I don't know if this will help you, but it has helped me just to share it with you.

Please let me know how you are doing.

God bless, and I will be praying for you.

[Guest dawgalumn82]

It says love our neighbors as ourselves. If you don't love yourself how can you love your neighbor? And why would anyone not love himself? God loves you so much he sent his son to die for you. Do you realize how valuable that makes you?

Ron