Often our worth is put in the world’s view of loving ourselves, not at all on how to cultivate self-love.
The world will have us believe to love ourselves is to consume, indulge and do whatever we want.
Have you lived in the world’s standard of loving yourself? (Raising my hand)
Have you come up empty? (Still raised)
The type of love the world wants us to believe is shallow and doesn’t last.
But God’s word tells us how to cultivate self-love…
Patient and kind, it is not jealous, nor pompous it is not inflated, it is not rude it does not speak its own interests it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. 1 Corinthians 13:4
As a Christian how might your life change if you knew how to cultivate self love the way God instructs?
Here are 5 biblical truths on how to cultivate self-love
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Biblical Truth #1 God loves us
I always say this to my children
“I don’t have all the answers but I know that God does”.
He is the father, and leader of all of us. Therefore, He is the greatest teacher in loving ourselves.
What does the Bible say about God’s love for us?
We love because God first loved us. (1 John 4:19)
For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life. (John 3:16)
God’s love is so great He will never leave or forsake us.
Biblical Truth #2 Living in Kindness
Are your thoughts and actions toward yourself kind?
“Those who are kind benefit themselves” (proverbs 11:17)
If you aren’t kind practice loving yourself.
Make sticky notes about what God says about you or you can download a copy of Truth Affirmations.
Simply affirm theses biblical verses to yourself as often as you can.
You will start to believe you are worthy of God’s love and in turn, know that being kind to yourself leads to cultivating self-love.
Biblical Truth #3 Practice Patience
Life is often about learning lessons from God, sometimes the same ones over and over again (for the hard headed people like myself).
He never says He will leave us when we make mistakes.
His love for us is patient.
Although, when we make a mistake we often beat up on ourselves, go down a spiral or even blame others.
Romans 12:12 tells us to let your hope keep you joyful, be patient in your troubles, and pray at all times.
Continuing to make mistakes is part of human nature.
Let’s try to practice patience with ourselves as God shows us patience.
Biblical Truth #4 Jealousy is not a good look
Are you doing the compare game?
Comparing to people in your field, other moms, others’ homes, cars or other material things is never a good idea.
It never helps you to compare yourself to someone else who seemingly has it all together because chances are you are going to feel crummy about yourself.
God gives us each our own gifts according to the grace given to us (Romans 12:6). You may be gifted with keeping a clean, tidy, organized house. However, you could be a master of the arts. Your gifts may be fighting for the rights of the people. Whatever your gift, it is personal to you.
Biblical Truth #5 Love is not inflated
God doesn’t want us to walk around with inflated love for ourselves or others. Yes, it is true that we should think highly of ourselves because of God’s love for us, but to degrade someone else in the process is not what God intended in loving ourselves.
When I started reading how God wants me to love myself and others 1 Corinthians 13:4. I began to meditate over this verse, my heart softened and I began to cultivate self-love.
The most important thing in cultivating self-love is that it starts with knowing God, then how God loves you and finally what God says about how to love. God says love is patient, kind never jealous, inflated or rude. Self-love requires us to look inward and reflect on God’s word.
