26 - Embracing Divine Love

Loving ourselves properly begins with two foundational truths derived from our relationship with God. Firstly, we love because God first loved us. This profound truth teaches us that our capacity to love originates from God's initial and unconditional love for us. By understanding how God loves us, we learn to emulate His love. This divine love becomes the blueprint for how we love ourselves and, ultimately, how we express love to others.

The second truth follows naturally: "Love your neighbor as yourself." This scriptural mandate suggests that the love we receive and learn from God is the same love with which we should regard ourselves. In doing so, we are equipped to extend this love outward. The journey to loving others effectively always circles back to how well we embrace and apply God’s love to ourselves.

Understanding God’s love begins with recognizing Him as the God of all comfort. He is our encourager and supporter, dispensing wisdom and understanding through the Holy Spirit. This divine assistance helps elevate our minds above mundane concerns, empowering us to transcend our trials and view our lives from an eternal perspective. God’s kindness towards us serves as a model for the kindness we ought to show ourselves. As we navigate through our own trials, the Scripture instructs us to use the comfort we've received from God to aid others facing similar difficulties.

In moments of trial and suffering, we are encouraged to comfort ourselves with the reassurance that God offers. This involves confronting and dispelling the lies that afflict us during challenging times, clinging instead to the truths of God. He imparts words of encouragement that should resonate within our hearts, reshaping our perception of every experience.

Truly comforting ourselves and mastering this practice requires divine guidance. It's through His Spirit that we learn the art of self-support, which in turn prepares us to extend the same love and support to others. We must actively seek God’s wisdom and understanding, asking to be filled with His Spirit. This entails not only active searching and contemplation but also quiet patience, listening for the gentle whisper of God guiding us through our circumstances.

This divine dialogue enables us to see beyond our immediate struggles, to grasp a clearer, more hopeful perspective as God reveals His presence and purpose in our lives. By affirming the truths He whispers to us through the Spirit and meditating on them continuously—especially in our darkest hours—we fortify our spirits and reassure our hearts.

We are dearly loved by God, and it is from this deep well of divine love that we learn to love ourselves. This self-love, modeled on God’s love, is essential not just for our well-being but as the foundation from which we can genuinely love and support others. Thus, loving ourselves as God loves us not only fulfills a personal need but also equips us to fulfill God's command to love our neighbors.