January 1st, 2104: this year is about love. Loving those who may not love you- love them anyways. Intense. Crazy. Love. This will help you love yourself. This will make you kingdom focused; Christ like. He will love others through you. Hard heart work; but life changing. Love is going to change you. Heal you. First before we can love others we have to start with loving you first- getting you to love yourself is crucial.
These words are straight from my journal. I had no idea the journey God was about to take me on. However, I knew that I needed to fall in love with myself. I was in a place where I couldn't say that I loved anything about me. I thought I was a waste. How was I ever going to love others if the enemy had me hating myself. How was I going to help other see themselves the way God saw them- if I couldn't see myself in the same light?
You have to love people to follow Jesus. I knew that even though I thought I was a waste of space; I wanted to follow Jesus. So I had to know what love was. I had to be able to love. I knew that it all began with loving myself first.
Anne Lamott says "loving your enemies is non-negotiable and acceptance of their crazy is love." Acceptance of their crazy is love. I just love that. What about accepting our own crazy? What if loving ourself is non-negotiable?
How can we truly love the way God created others if we loathe the way he created ourself? I gotta accept my crazy to love myself. I have to believe that I am no mistake. I have to know that he makes no mistake. I have to trust that I am his beautiful daughter. I have to believe he uses all things for his glory!
Love your body. Love your hair. Love your eyes. Love your smile. Love your butt. Love your legs. Love your arms. Love that mole. Love that scar. Love that dimple.
Love your strengths. Love the way you sing (even if you can't carry a tune). Love the way you run. Love your voice. Love your hand writing. Love your laugh. Love the way you clean.
Love your weakness. His strength is able to show from our weakness. (2 Cor. 12:1-10)
Love the way He created you.
Love your ___________. Whatever it is that you don't love, fill in this blank.
If it is more than one thing- make a list. Don't worry mine was a lot. I started listing all the things I didn't love about myself by saying like this:
I will love _____________ because Christ made me.
The list was long. Long people! However, when I wrote it down it made me aware of the lies that were in my heart and mind. As I wrote them down the darkness started to fade. Once these ugly things were out in His light I was able to hear his loving truth over it. I was able to take the awful things that I had believed and write the truth over them.
As I made the list I started thinking about my daughter. I started thinking about how if these words came out of her how it would break my heart- tears streamed down my face- as I thought about her I realized I am God's daughter- oh how this must hurt him..... Oh how He must have had tears that day, too.
So the truth is He made you.
He makes no mistake.
When he looks at you he sees beauty.
You are beautiful! Inside and out.
He sees you, hears you, and loves you!
He loves your voice. Loves to hear your laugh. He loves the smile.
He loves you. His love is not conditional. His love is unconditional. Every part of you is seen and loved by your Heavenly Father. His love is for eternity.
It is time for you to love yourself! Stop believing the lies and start believing His word. His love. His truths.
Love your crazy!
We gotta start loving ourselves so we can start loving on others. Start today!
❤️KGB