The greatest Commandment as stated by Jesus in Mathew 22:38-39 is to "....love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your mind and with all your soul. " followed by "...love your neighbor as you love yourself"
what then does it mean though to love yourself? Jesus has clearly laid it as a measure for loving others thus making it imperative.
We therefore we have to take time to understand what it meant to love ourselves and then to practice it before we can profess to love others.
Love is a verb... it is an act and cannot be touched or seen physically but it can be felt, percieved and understood mostly when it is in abundance or lacking.
You cannot express a love which you yourself have not experienced.
But then that raises the question of do you know who you are loving? Do you know yourself? Many of us many times do not know who we are and we don't even like who we think we are.
So this is a great time to embark on a journey of self discovery. A journey that will draw you closer to God as you realise how marvelously He has invested in you. This is the time to learn who you are. Here is a few ways you can start with;
1. Spend time with you.
For people like me that love big loud places with many people being alone can be quite unsettling. So you can take it slow. Give yourself a schedule daily or weekly and spend just 30 minutes getting to know you. First thing in the morning do a situation check... how do you feel physically mentally or spiritually? And listen to your body. If it is screaming for a rest, listen. If your spirit is yearning for God, start a fast or something if your heart misses someone plan to see them. Then for time with you sometimes a journal helps. You could start by writing an apology letter to your body parts... or to yourself... for the times you have belittled it or something.
2. Study your DNA
Take time with family and draw your family tree. Understand who in your lineage was most like you... This connection gives us a deep sense of identity. Read about your gender, age group and understand what is happening in that context. Take personality tests to figure out what research and science says about you and make decisions on what to improve.
3. Do a SWOT Analysis of You
Get a few loved ones and ask them some questions about you. To get a clear perspective of whether how the world views you and how you view yourself are similar . Ask them why they love you... your strengths and weaknesses. Read the Word about what God says about you. Read it over and over again until it sinks in.
4. Practice Affirmations Daily
Start with the great things people say about you but you don't believe. Then the great things you know about you, then the things you wang to become. This will grow your self esteem to healthy levels.
5. Forgive Yourself
Many times we forgive all else but ourselves. We do not allow ourselves to make mistakes and when we make them we find it unforgivable. Write all the things that have made you mad with your self.. that bad boy you dated, that pyramid scheme you joined, that shopping spree you went on... the list is endless. Write them and then write a forgiven letter to yourself cleaning the slate. Romans 8:28 pretty much covers condemnation whether self inflicted or from others.
6. Fill your Love Bank
Spend time with positive people who love you. Also do acts of charity that just make your heart swell. The heart is a muscle and there is nothing like love to fill it up
7. Love, Love, Love.
The Bible says that from the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. From a healed ready heart then love can flow. Start loving and fulfilling the two greatest Commandments as God transforms you into the whole healed amazing human He made you to be.
