Mark 12:31 tells me I am to "love your neighbor as yourself."
I remember the first time I heard that verse. I asked the question "but what if I hate myself?
It wasn't a rhetorical question. I was serious.
I've worked hard since that time to love my neighbor but loving myself isn't nearly as easy.
My husband HATES when people say "you have to love yourself" but I ask him every time we get into the discussion ....what about that verst? It implies that you need to love yourself first. He always says that is not what the verse means.
I think he's wrong. I think the verse assumes that we DO love ourselves more than we love others. We put ourselves first, we think of ourselves first, we care for ourselves first...
But what if we don't...
I recently had a very dear friend tell me I need to love myself more. This friend said "I'm going to check in with you once a week to make sure you are doing something each week to that end."
This is my report for this past week:
Things I did to love ME...
I made/went to a therapy appointment.
I invited A LOT of people to a "We'll be seeing you" party* so I could get and give hugs.
I bought myself a bike that I really wanted but really did NOT need!
I made sure to eat...this seems crazy but I have been really busy so eating has taken a back seat on some days.
I wrote in my journal.
I found a new therapist in Michigan*.
By the way, if you know me in real life...*we are moving to Michigan in about 10 days!!!!! If you know me well, check your Facebook event invites because chances are high that you were invited to the party.
Hold on, we are going on a ride.....
When I read this verse, which is also repeated in Matthew, I think that there is a very important nuance to acknowledge. It states to "love your neighbor AS THYSELF." Therefor, it is reasonable to assume that unless you truly and fully love one's self, then the ability to love others will be impeded. Self love is not selfish, you cannot truly know how to love another until you know how to love yourself. Note, there is a marked difference between making yourself a priority/important than succumbing to vanity or crossing the threshold to narcissism. I love quotes, as often times they originate from someone who has a deeper insight or has held different experiences than my own. And while I understand that the quotes come from fellow humans, and are not scripture, I would like to share the following:
ReplyDeleteSelf-love, my liege, is not so vile a sin as self-neglecting (William Shakespear)
You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection. (Buddha)
Love yourself enough to set boundaries. Your time and energy are precious. You get to chose how you use it. (Anna Taylor)
I am proud of your journey and the steps you are taking and I look forward to reading this journal in the weeks to come. There may be times where it becomes difficult to continue to make yourself a priority, but keep up the good work! From this post, it looks like you really nailed the warm up!