“You have to love yourself before loving someone else.”
We hear all the time that self-love is something that we all need. We are told that we need to learn to love ourselves before we can love others. And it makes perfect sense. Indulgent happy love.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but I feel like it’s almost impossible to lack self-love in this present age. So many of us living in the United States don’t realize how much self-loving we actually do. We have so much more than many parts of the world who lack clean water, food, and shelter. We surround ourselves with the people that WE want to be around with. We treat ourselves to food that WE enjoy eating. We even sometimes buy clothes that WE can barely afford. We do all as an expression of self-love. The people who bring us joy, the food that brings us nutrients, the clothing we wear all has one sole purpose - to make us feel good. We do not lack self-love when we marry the person of our dreams. We love ourselves enough to blast the AC on a hot summer day. We do not compromise comfort unless we have to.
Most of us have all the essentials for life - food, loving people, shelter and so much more. We are all equipped with the foundation to love others. To share, to give, and to sacrifice. As Christians, we build our life on the love that God shows us through Jesus Christ. I believe that God expressed love in its purest form - sacrifice. When Someone gives Their only Son for us, that is love! Jesus is our first love that inspires us to live a life of sacrifice. He is the only one that can fill our soul with peace, love, and comfort.
Healthy self love is a love that gives forth. It is so much easier to live when we base our self-image on the love that Jesus has for us. The Bible states that we should treat others like we want to be treated. When we understand the value of our life in the eyes of God, this will help us value other people as well. Now is our chance to give back and pass on love to others.