How do you learn to love yourself when you don’t like the way you look or the way you feel about yourself?
Whether it would be because you made some bad decisions in your past and you can’t seem to get over them. Or you cringe every time you look at yourself in the mirror. Maybe you have been in an abusive relationship, and you are still carrying around all that hurt and pain. I understand sweet friends and I am going to tell you how you can overcome those feelings of insecurity and learn to love yourself the way God loves you.
MY STORY
For as long as I can remember I have never liked the way I looked. I was always insecure. I had acne as a teenager and still do as an adult. I have very fine hair so of course, I have always wished I had more hair. I have large eyes and a large forehead, and I always got teased for that in school.
As I grew older my ex-husband was verbally abusive toward me. So being already insecure and piling his abusive comments on me only made matters worse.
The man I am married to now was also insecure as a child and still is as an adult. Communicating was not the greatest at the beginning of our marriage and we ended up separated for 2 years.
Even though my marriage is wonderful now I am still feeling the consequences of the separation. Meaning I am on antidepressants to help with my anxiety and depression. Those types of medications can cause weight gain. So yep you guessed it, I have put on some weight. And not just a few pounds either. We are talking 30 pounds!
So the question is, how do you get to the point where you can actually say that you are happy with the way you are?
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THE BIBLE SAYS YOU MUST LOVE YOURSELF
Mark 12: 30-31 says, "And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength. The second is equally important: "Love your neighbor as yourself." No other commandment is greater than these."
If you notice in that verse above it says that you should love your neighbor as yourself. How can you love your neighbor if you don’t love yourself?
HOW DO YOU LOVE YOURSELF?
#1. You can start by realizing God loves you just the way you are! He values you more than anything.
Matthew 10: 30 says, "And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows."
What God is saying is that although He may love the flowers in the field and the sparrows in the sky, He values you more than all those things that He made!
#2. You will have to change the way you think of yourself.
To do that you must find something to replace those nasty negative thoughts that you have of yourself. And a good way to learn how to do that would be to purchase my SELF-LOVE BUNDLE! Click here to learn more.
In Song of Solomon 4:7, it says, "You are altogether beautiful, my love; there is no flaw in you."(ESV version)
The fact that the Lord says “There is no flaw in you” just makes my heart soar. Of all the past mistakes and sins that I have made, He still thinks that I am flawless.
And the Lord thinks you are flawless too!
#3. You need to start embracing the fact that you were born for a purpose.
Ephesians 1: 11 says, "Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plans."
#4. You need to let go of your past.
God wants you to move forward. He doesn’t want you to live in regret, guilt, or shame. Yes, some of you may have gone through a lot in the past. And it is hard to get over it, but I know with God’s help you can be free from all guilt and shame.
Philippians 3:13 says, "......But I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead."
This is where you and I need to learn how to embrace those words that God has spoken.
The more you meditate, ponder, or focus on the fact that the Lord loves you and that he wants to bless you, the easier it will be to love yourself.
OUR PERFECT GOD
God is perfect! He never changes his mind about the way He feels. Unlike you and I. So you can count on God to be there for you when you need to hear that you are beautiful or when you need to know you are loved. I ask the Lord all the time for encouragement. And every single time he gives it to me.
CONCLUSION
I pray that you have a better understanding that God loves you and knows you are a beautiful person. If God loves you, you should love yourself. If God says that you are valuable, you are! You are worthy because He declares you to be worthy.
If you would like me to pray for you just drop me a quick email or share your story in the comments below. You can also check out my other blog Who is God according to the Bible.
Share your comments below if this topic sounds familiar to you. Let’s encourage one another! Please share this post if you know of someone who needs some encouragement. And if you enjoyed reading this article please consider subscribing to my email list in the box that says “join the rest ” to receive these posts in your inbox once a week!
You also may be interested in purchasing my self-love bundle to help you with self-criticism. Self-criticism is where you put yourself down and compare yourself unfavorably to others. Stop the negative self-talk and learn to love yourself the way God loves you. When you feel more comfortable in your own skin you will start to trust God more and believe what he says of you.
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