The Bible teaches us that we are all equal in value before God. We were born equally valuable, but because of sin, we often lose our inherent value and love for ourselves.
However, through faith in Christ and the practice of self-love, we are able to experience true value for ourselves and the choices we make.
You may have often wondered how some people seem to attract other people and opportunities into their lives while others struggle to do so.
You may have also questioned your own actions and whether you consider yourself a good person or not. Self-love plays a big role in each of these situations.
People who are kind, compassionate, and respectful tend to attract positive energy from others and tend to be happier and healthier.
On the flip side, those who are selfish, rude, and disrespectful tend to attract negative energy from others and often become unhappy and unhealthy.
In this article, we’ll take a look at what the Bible has to say about self-love and what it really means to fully love yourself, your actions, and the person you are.
What Is Self Love?
Simply put, self-love is the pursuit of appreciation for oneself. This state usually grows from actions that support and enhance who we are physically, psychologically, and also spiritually.
We are all inherently lovable and simply put, the concept of self-love is to be our own personal cheerleaders.
As well as truly being at peace and loving who we are, self-love can also take the form of self-care practices, such as relaxation, making time for ourselves, and providing ourselves with opportunities to indulge in our favorite activities.
From cooking to meditating, filling our time with activities and events that encourage a positive change or feeling is a perfect way to provide yourself with some self-love.
What The Bible Says About Love Of Self?
The Bible says that God created us male and female (Genesis 2:24), and He expects us to treat each other with respect and dignity.
In addition, Jesus said that we should love our neighbors as ourselves (Matthew 22:39). However, self-love is a concept that many people struggle with.
There are times when we feel proud or selfish, but this is not what God wants us to be. When we truly understand how much God loves us, then we can learn to love ourselves too. This starts with loving God first.
Our inner self truly is beautiful as we were created by God. God bestowed dignity upon humanity when he created them in his image, and it is his image in them that gives them value.
In other words, we should show everyone love, including ourselves, because everyone is made in the image of God.
Tim 3:2-4 tells us about the coming end times when people will be lovers of themselves instead of lovers of God.
The inclusion of this verse proposes the idea that people will put their interests before God and that the idea of self-worship is a sin.
It focuses on the greed of people and how materialistic values will be classed as more important than true connection.
Essentially, it conveys the message that people who do good things without God’s help are not doing them out of love for God.
Bible Verses About Self-love
Scripture is filled with verses that can be used to build self-esteem and help people understand more about the concept of self-love.
Here is a popular short prayer that is often used to help start the journey into self-love: For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well”. (Psalm 139:13-14).
Ephesians 5:29
29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church,
Psalm 139:14
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.
2 Timothy 1:7
7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
John 15:12
12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
1 John 4:19
19 We love because he first loved us.
1 John 4:18
18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.
Self-love is a prerequisite to loving others. Take care of yourself before taking care of others. If you haven’t learned how to love yourself, you can never learn how to love others.
Self-love is a concept that many people believe in but few actually practice. There is a lot of talk about how we should love ourselves, but very few people actually do it.
Jesus’ life was characterized by self-giving. He laid down his life for his friends. He didn’t think about how to benefit himself before helping others.
Furthermore, he taught his disciples to love others more than themselves. This is the opposite of selfishness and shows that self-love is an incredibly important part of loving others.
Final Thought
Our society is full of comparisons whether it be to other people, celebrities, or important figures in society and what they may have achieved.
These comparisons can often make us feel bad about ourselves as it shows us what we believe is missing from our lives in order to be happy.
As you can see from this article, the Bible promotes and encourages self-love for everyone, however, it also warns of the negatives that can come from placing too much focus on what is not significant in life.
The answer to self-love is to focus your energy on everything you have and to be truly thankful for it, for the person you are, and for the choices you make.
Although the Bible has much to say about self-love it’s important to remember that everyone deserves to be loved just as much as the next person, no matter who you are.
I have been a devout Christian since I was a little girl, so I trust my knowledge can help more people learn and perhaps even join the religion that is Christianity.
In 2011, 75% of Americans identified as Christian. However, in 2021, that number dropped to 63%. That is a 12% decrease, and that trend is likely to continue. If more people aren’t informed about Christianity, I fear that we will suffer from fewer members and we will become a forgotten religion.
My hopes for this website are for it to be a useful resource where you can get all of your supplementary knowledge on Christianity in one place. Of course, your religion leader will be able to answer most of your questions, but when they’re not available, I’m here for you.
