Two reasons why you must love yourself

Valentine’s day is here again…I can imagine that some of us are expecting gifts and treats from others affirming their love for us. It’s all well and good but what’s the value in all that if you don’t love yourself and need someone else to “convince” you that you are “love-worthy”? If I can even stretch that without changing the focus of this piece, why must people wait for one day in the year to “demonstrate” their love for others? Barbara De Angelis said: “Love is a choice you make from moment to moment.” And I believe you should “demonstrate” it from moment to moment – it’s not in the gifts or treats but in the everyday treatment – how many husbands help their wives at home? How many wives help their husbands at home? I won’t go any further…at least not just yet.

Recently, I heard Bishop Rudolph Mckissick say something that is so true - if you don’t like being with yourself, what makes you think that anyone else will want to be with or around you? We must all learn to love and like ourselves and definitely enjoy our own company.

The second and possibly more important reason to love yourself is because the 2nd most important commandment:

"Love others as much as you love yourself."

(Matt 22:39- Contemporary English Version (CEV))

If you don’t love yourself, how can you love anyone else? If you don’t treat yourself right, how can you truly treat anyone else right? Barbara De Angelis said: “If you aren't good at loving yourself, you will have a difficult time loving anyone, since you'll resent the time and energy you give another person that you aren't even giving to yourself.”

If you look around you, you’re bound to almost always find love…what about looking within you? Love is to be given and received – if you don’t receive God’s love how can you give it to others? Surely you can’t give what you don’t have. Love has to be planted to be productive. Jesse Duplantis put it this way: "Love is far too amazing and too good to be kept as a private possession." Learn to be generous in giving love to yourself and others...it will make a world of difference in you and make a difference in the world through you.

In the words of another woman:

Love and kindness are never wasted. They always make a difference. They bless the one who receives them, and they bless you, the giver. (Barbara De Angelis)