When I teach, offer a message or write, I do my best to wait for God to direct my thoughts. My heart is to present a message given to me by His Spirit. I have learned to not put a "deadline" on it because in one way or another, He has His way with it. Today had come and I had not yet gotten any kind of a memo from God. During my prayer time this morning, I told Him I was waiting and asked Him to inspire me so that I would share what He wanted shared. I let Him know how I planned to be open to His leading. Considering I had nothing to say, I offered my schedule letting Him know how I saw it all fitting together.
I would get a burrito and a free coffee at Chick-Fil-A, then come home and start some laundry, then cut the grass. I said I would dedicate the time during all those things in meditation so I would hear His direction. It is funny that for me, most often His sharing comes when there is water. Sometimes in a bath, jacuzzi, lake, ocean or like today, in the shower. So with a whisper, He rearranged my schedule and here I am. I can always count on water to set the tone.
On this site, we often talk about loving others and I say love somebody, love everybody. Today God pressed on me that loving someone means loving yourself also.
He nor I do not care what color your skin, hair, eyes, or whatever is, you are wonderfully made. You are special and unique. You are to love yourself in a healthy way.
He doesn't care if you have tattoos or don't have tattoos. He doesn't care if your ear, nose or tongue is pierced. He doesn't care if you have 3 inch long fingernails with glow in the dark polish or wear 3 inch high heels that cost $400 a pair. He doesn't care if you have a beard, mustache, are clean shaven, have long hair or none. He doesn't care if your hair is green, red orange, half shaved off or streaked. He doesn't care if you hair stylist makes you look like you should be on the cover of GQ or Cosmo. He doesn't care if the cost of your wardrobe is $30,000 or $30, you are amazing and worthy of being loved.
It doesn't matter what you have been told, if you have been mocked and made fun of, picked on or ignored or even if you have never danced - you are priceless.
Many of us struggle with loving ourselves. I remember reading a book and found an exercise the author directed the reader to do. He told us to stand in front of a mirror, with honesty and real effort and say to our reflection in the mirror. "I love you". I was in a bad place then and still at times wrestle with worthiness. In an effort to change my life I willingly accepted his instruction. I stood in front of the mirror and tried to conjure up a "real" feeling of loving myself. I could not say it and walked away. I tried it time after time and walked everytime. I eventually gave up thinking I would never be able to tell myself that I loved me.
Sometimes we see others as perfect and as so much better than we see ourselves. We do that because we know our short comings. Well, guess what? Those other people are not so perfect! The difference is that we can't see their shortcomings but are well aware of ours. You are worthy of love, you are lovable!
If you don't agree, if you still cannot accept that you are someone to be loved, let me remind you of something. There is an all powerful God who created life itself along with such things as, well let's see, Oh, the universe! Let me remind you that the same God who did all that loves you. He loves you so much that He sent Christ, His son, to die for you. He did that so He could enjoy having you with Him for all of eternity. Let me remind you that, through Jesus, He built a bridge for you to cross so He could enjoy your beauty, your uniqueness, your charm, your humor, your passion and your creativity for all time. Don't you even start to say you are none of those things, for I know there is not one person that He has created that does not have some of those things built into them. I think all of that qualifies you as lovable.
If your neighbor can't stand you, remember God loves you. If your boss thinks little of you, remember God thinks highly of you. If your kids or spouse don't treat you well, remember God treasures you.
If you have trouble seeing value in yourself, remember God thinks you are valuable enough to sacrifice His Son for you. If you just can't love yourself - STOP IT !!! I insist, STOP IT!
God loves you and if you are good enough for Him to love, how dare you not love yourself?
It doesn't matter what you have done or not done. It doesn't matter what you have been told your entire life. The only thing that matters is that God loves you and wants you to see the amazing, wonderful person He sees.
Today, right now, make a date to take yourself out to lunch. Do you remember how it is when you meet someone new or when you meet a person you knew a long time ago? You spend time investigating each other and getting to know each other right? Life gets hard and becomes all consuming at times. Take time to get reacquainted with yourself just like you would an old friend. Get to know yourself again in a fun and excited way. Rediscover yourself, what you love, what you are passionate about. Realize how wonderful you still are. Treat yourself to a special lunch to reconnect with your very soul and communicate with your heart. Sometimes life just takes over and even though we are doing good things like taking care of our kids, spouses or parents, we get lost and lose touch with who we really are. We start seeing ourselves as Aunt Betty's caretaker instead of John or Mary. LIfe takes over at times and we forget who we are and what we love. Go get that back, today. Don't waste another day not loving yourself.
Remind yourself that the great God loves you more than you can begin to imagine. Stop looking at the thing you feel is your shortcoming and concentrate at what you do well. Stop looking at yourself as a critic and start looking at yourself lovingly.
When you keep telling someone how much you love them and they keep telling you they are not worth loving, doesn't that just fry your bacon? The Bible is filled with stories of God's love for people just like you. Guess what, none of them were perfect either. He has been trying to tell the world, like forever, how much He loves them and they keep ignoring Him. I don't know about you but I imagine that might fry Gods bacon too! (if He were not so patient and loving)
Accept His love and accept your own love. You are worthy! You are awesome! You are beautiful! You are adorable! You are a miraculous creature! You are lovable! You are loved!
Get off the train of not loving yourself that is headed for no-wheres-ville and jump on the train of I am lovable and head for the land of the loved. I may not know you but I am pretty confident that if God made you (and by the way He did) I would find many things about you to love. I know that because I know God does not do mistakes!
There are times that I really feel God move. This is one of those very special times. I don't know who you are but I am sure beyond a shadow of a doubt that God is having me write this to you. Yes, you! He intends this as His personal message to you. His heart is hurting that He made as such an amazing person as you and you do not appreciate yourself. He reaches out to you to say it is okay to love yourself, you are worth it more than you know. Please find peace and lay down all the junk that is breaking your heart and love yourself, please. This is for you.
Have a blessed day and have a great lunch with your new best friend!
Now I have got to go do that laundry and cut the grass. God loves you and so do we.
Go out there and love somebody. Love you.
By the way, after reading in the Word over and over how much He loves me, I have learned to understand that God loves me mistakes and all. I can now look in the mirror and say "I love you". If I can learn to do that, so can you.