One of my students with special needs gave the best comment I
think I’ve ever heard about Valentine’s Day.
She stated she is the “Valentine’s Day Grinch.” As much as I thought it was funny, I also realize
that we have created a day that we believe that love comes from external
sources only and that we only love externally.
It was in a mind-blowing message a few years ago from my pastor that
made me understand that I had misread and misunderstood a passage my whole
life.
An expert in the law tested Jesus with the question of what
was the greatest commandment. It’s
interesting to note that the person testing Jesus is an expert in the law. Jesus’s answer is connected more with an expert
in love.
Jesus answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart,
and with all your soul, and with all your mind.
This is the first and greatest commandment. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as
yourself.” Matthew 22:37-38 (NIV) Once I
was taught that passage, all the religious leaders and experts in my life told
me that the two greatest commands are to love God and to love others. They were partially correct. As my leaders had great intentions, and
probably passed on what they were taught, Erwin McManus revealed a slight miss
that they all made. Yes, there are two
commandments, but it’s THREE loves. Love
God. Love others, as you love
YOURSELF. It states it right there. Love your neighbor AS YOURSELF. You must love others just as you love
yourself; therefore, we must do a better job at loving ourselves in order to love
others better. To love yourself is not
arrogant or to think that you are the greatest, but to have a genuine love for
who you are and who God has created you to be.
Loving yourself requires you to see the best in
yourself. It means allowing the right
voices to speak truth and life into you.
Those right voices can be hard to hear because all of the wrong voices
scream louder. It takes discernment to
move away from the loud obnoxious voices that keep telling you are not good
enough or that you will never achieve the greatness. It’s the obscure voices that rarely speak
that may be the ones that have the most weight and volume. The right voices will tell you that you can
achieve what you have set out to do. The
right voices will stand there with you during the storms and the
victories. The wrong voices laugh, mock,
and scorn during the storms and are usually silent during the victories.
God created us. I know
some people believe we came from nothing, but in order to love myself, I have
to believe that I am created. Creativity
surrounds us. Creativity is seen in the beauty in nature; it is seen in the
creation of formulas and chemicals that can cure diseases; it is in business to
create a plan to create a product everyone wants to buy. Since creativity surrounds us, we are all
part of the creation and we must use our gifts and talents, no matter how small
or insignificant they may seem, to complete the beautiful picture. It’s like a puzzle missing the piece when we
don’t love ourselves because our creativity is needed in order for the world to
be beautiful.
Love who you are, even with all your flaws, mistakes, and
sins. See the good inside of you and the
beauty that you have yet to share with the world. Love yourself for all of your
accomplishments, even if they are so small, like turning off the television to
go to bed or read a book. Wake up every
day to a new dawn. Every day is an
opportunity not to be missed. Every moment
we live is a new opportunity. We must press on after our mistakes and our
achievements. It’s self-love. It might have to start with self-care. Care for yourself. Take time to rest. Take time to reflect. Take time to allow others to speak life into
you. Then, when you are refreshed, the
love you have for yourself will shine and reflect on those around you and that
love will spread and you will be able to follow the two greatest commandments. Three loves.
Love God. Love others. Love yourself.
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