It is very difficult to love others if don’t start realizing your value. There’s a divine and precious principle in understanding your intrinsic value as an individual. One major idea behind those who struggle with thoughts of suicide or depression is the despicable notion of self-worthlessness. Nevertheless, read what the Word of God has to say, and observe how much God has valued you.
The Importance of Loving Yourself
The fact of the matter is that not loving yourself can be very harmful. If you can’t love yourself, how could you possibly love others?
1 Corinthians 13:1 World English Bible (WEB)
13 If I speak with the languages of men and of angels, but don’t have love, I have become sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal.
The Bible makes it very clear as it does in the verse above that love is essential to every individual. The Biblical narrative is about love from the book of Genesis to the book of Revelations. And Jesus reminded us in the New Covenant that realizing your value in God’s eyes is a prerequisite to loving others when he talked about the two most important commandments.
Mark 12:31 World English Bible (WEB)
31 The second is like this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’Leviticus 19:18 There is no other commandment greater than these.”
Jesus said to love others as yourself, meaning that this commandment first assumes that you love yourself. Now, God is not a hypocrite. Whatever He tells us to do is always a reflection of what He demonstrates and this case is no exception. Furthermore, If God did not love Himself, how could He love us?
John 3:35 World English Bible (WEB)
35 The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into his hand.
Verses like the above verse make it clear that Father God loves Himself even as God the Son. Bible verses like John 3:35 should not confuse us about Jesus’ divinity, rather, it should point out the loving nature of God.
Moreover, if God loves Himself, then, we should also love ourselves because we should imitate and obey God.
Ephesians 5:1 World English Bible (WEB)
5 Be therefore imitators of God, as beloved children.
Realizing Your Value In Christ Jesus
Moreover, loving yourself is a key to success. When you love yourself, you enable yourself to establish and maintain healthy relationships since you become capable of loving others. Plus, when you love yourself, you establish a healthy quality of confidence within your personality.
But, maybe your past prevents you from loving yourself. Maybe you’re living in guilt and condemnation for past actions which now disgust you. Well, there’s even a solution for that.
2 Corinthians 5:17 King James Version (KJV)
17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
The moment you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour where He paid the price for your sins so that you don’t have to, He sees you as a new creation. He values you as His beloved child and you then gain the right to imitate your Heavenly Father.
So, your past self has nothing to do with your current righteousness obtained through Jesus Christ.
Even God calls it wise to love yourself. If you love your soul, that makes it tremendously easier to seek wisdom. So, it’s a wise decision to start realizing your value in Christ Jesus.
Proverbs 19:8 World English Bible (WEB)
8 He who gets wisdom loves his own soul.
He who keeps understanding shall find good.
A Wise Decision Indeed
It is therefore the best decision to love yourself. When you love yourself, you allow God to work in you. If you understand the value that God assigned you, God can work through you and in you to accomplish amazing things.
Matthew 5:14-16 World English Bible (WEB)
14 You are the light of the world. A city located on a hill can’t be hidden. 15 Neither do you light a lamp and put it under a measuring basket, but on a stand; and it shines to all who are in the house. 16 Even so, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
Even Jesus said in the above passage that you are the light of the world if you follow Him. Jesus compares you and me to a lamp and that our purpose is to glorify Him because He has made us for a special reason; you’ve got to understand this! If God says that He made you in His image, then don’t call yourself insignificant, it’s like putting a lamp under a basket instead of placing it on a stand.
Sure, you are imperfect but that’s the way all people are. Only God is perfect, that doesn’t mean you’re insignificant. When you understand how much Jesus loves you, it becomes a no-brainer to love yourself.
Genesis 1:27 World English Bible (WEB)
27 God created man in his own image. In God’s image he created him; male and female he created them.
Therefore, believe what God says, and love yourself because He loves you. When you realize the extent of God’s undying love for you, it becomes very easy to love yourself. And when you love yourself, it becomes very easy to love others since God loves them.