How well do you love yourself?

Jesus said, " 'Love the Lord your God with all your passion, prayer and intelligence.' This is the most important, the first on any list. But there is a second set alongside it: ' Love others as well as you love yourself.' These two commands are pegs; everything in God's Law and the Prophets hangs from them."  Matthew 22:37-40 The Message

How do you go on the 'love others as well as you love yourself' test? I failed dismally this week. I failed to show grace when needed. I pulled out those awful judging, criticising and assumption-making weapons that can cause mass destruction in relationships. It was not a pretty sight (or sound!).

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they who indulge in it shall eat the fruit of it [for death or life]. Proverbs 18:21 AMP

So yes, I indulged myself and succumbed to the destructive thoughts in my mind. The fruit of my public unruly outburst was an awkward situation which subsequently required me to humble myself and apologise for my 'bad behaviour'.  I have learnt from past experience it is better to apologise quickly rather than let the feelings fester.

When angry, do not sin; do not ever let your wrath (your exasperation,  your fury or indignation) last until the sun goes down.  Ephesians 4:26 AMP

Despite failing in obeying the first part of Ephesians 4:26, by the grace of God I did manage to obey the second part of the scripture. Since making that apology,  I have been asking God, why is it that I had such a reaction? What is the trigger? Again God has been gracious and led me to the above scripture about 'as you love yourself'. 

Here is the root issue - Do I love myself, just as I am?   Or am I still looking for acceptance and approval from others? Is the hint of assumed rejection, a trigger to my feelings of inadequacy, leading to a need to express my feelings in a very child-like (tantrum) way? So maybe, I didn't fail the test, maybe I just don't love and accept myself enough to be able to love others well.

Oh, still so much to process and learn. I am drawn back once again to one of the scriptures God gave me to focus on this year,

Let everything you do be done in love (true love to God and man as inspired by God's love for us). 1 Corinthians 16:14 AMP

It looks like I need to spend some more time with Jesus in worship and meditating on the Word, getting more revelation of His great love for me, so I can in-turn, show greater love to others.

Question for today, how well do you love yourself? How well do you understand God's amazing love for you, despite what you do and don't do? If you are unsure about God's unconditional love for you, ask God to show you today, how much He loves you. He is ready, willing and able because He loves you intensely.

But God - so rich is He in His mercy! Because of and in order to satisfy the great and wonderful and intense love with which He loved us, even when we were dead (slain) by [our own] shortcomings and trespasses, He made us alive together in fellowship and in union with Christ; [He gave us the very life of Christ Himself, the same new life with which He quickened Him, for] it is by grace (His favour and mercy which you did not deserve) that you are saved (delivered from judgement and made partakers of Christ's salvation). Ephesians 2:4-5 AMP

Amen!