Learn To Love Yourself
In this life, so many things can take every ounce of our attention. Most people spend way more time on their cell phones or social media than interacting with their families. My question for you is if you are spending way too much of your day focusing on any and everything else who in the world is loving the person that you see when you look in the mirror. We tend to focus way more on the things in life that matter the least. How many do we have? How much more will that give me? How will it be perceived by others? What? Stop! Wait just one minute! Who in the world decided that everything that this life is built on is outside ourselves? If we never truly learn who we are. We will never truly learn to love that person. We are a broken entity, an enigma, a people with no purpose.
Reason number 1 why day 3 of our introspective prayer journey will consist of writing down those characteristics about ourselves that God sees as pleasing. Our scripture today is a very familiar passage Galatians chapter 5 read the whole chapter. Then let’s take that list of characteristics we wrote down about ourselves and ask God to help us become more like Him as described in Galatians 5:22-23. I will be writing out this portion of today’s scripture because every now and then we all need a reminder of who we are. If my life is not reflecting the fruit of the spirit and I call myself His then of course I am having trouble loving the woman in the mirror because the 2 must lineup.
This introspective journey is much needed for me how about you? I tend to fall in love with the woman looking back at me in the mirror when I see the attributes of Christ reflecting from my life. That’s just my personal opinion you don’t have to wear it but I promise if you try it you will learn to fall in love with yourself. You will find more time to do the things in life that genuinely matter most to you and those you love and care about because it’s just a natural progression when we realign ourselves. It’s like a system of checks and balances to reflect the attributes we value. Today give thanks for every little detail including the fact that God loved us enough to lead by example.
Galatians 5 The Passion Translation (TPT)
A LIFE OF FREEDOM
5 Let me be clear, the Anointed One has set us free—not partially, but completely and wonderfully free! We must always cherish this truth and stubbornly refuse to go back into the bondage of our past.
2 I, Paul, tell you: If you think there is benefit in circumcision and Jewish regulations, then you’re acting as though Jesus the Anointed One is not enough. 3 I say it again emphatically: If you let yourselves be circumcised you are obliged to fulfill every single one of the commandments and regulations of the law!
4 If you want to be made holy by fulfilling the obligations of the law, you have cut off more than your flesh—you have cut yourselves off from the Anointed One and have fallen away from the revelation of grace!
5 But the Holy Spirit convinces us that we have received by faith the glorious righteousness of the Anointed One. 6 When you’re placed into the Anointed One and joined to him, circumcision and religious obligations can benefit you nothing. All that matters now is living in the faith that is activated and brought to perfection by love.
7 Before you were led astray, you were so faithful to Messiah. Why have you now turned away from what is right and true? Who has deceived you?
8 The One who enfolded you into his grace is not behind this false teaching that you’ve embraced. Not at all! 9 Don’t you know that when you allow even a little lie into your heart, it can permeate your entire belief system?
10 Deep in my heart I have faith that the Lord Jesus the Anointed One, who lives in you, will bring you back around to the truth. And I’m convinced that those who agitate you, whoever they think they are, will be brought under God’s judgment!
11 Dear friends, why do you think the religious system persecutes me? Is it because I preach the message of being circumcised and keeping all the laws of Judaism? Not at all! Is there no longer any offense over the cross? 12 To tell you the truth, I am so disgusted with all your agitators—I wish they would go even further and cut off their legalistic influence from your lives!
13 Beloved ones, God has called us to live a life of freedom in the Holy Spirit. But don’t view this wonderful freedom as an opportunity to set up a base of operations in the natural realm. Freedom means that we become so completely free of self-indulgence that we become servants of one another, expressing love in all we do.
14 For love completes the laws of God. All of the law can be summarized in one grand statement:
“Demonstrate love to your neighbor, even as you care for and love yourself.”
15 But if you continue to criticize and come against each other over minor issues, you’re acting like wild beasts trying to destroy one another!
THE HOLY SPIRIT, OUR VICTORY
16 As you yield freely and fully to the dynamic life and power of the Holy Spirit, you will abandon the cravings of your self - life. 17 For yourself - life craves the things that offend the Holy Spirit and hinder him from living free within you! And the Holy Spirit’s intense cravings hinder your old self - life from dominating you! So then, the two incompatible and conflicting forces within you are your self - life of the flesh and the new creation life of the Spirit.
18 But when you are brought into the full freedom of the Spirit of grace, you will no longer be living under the domination of the law, but soaring above it!
19 The cravings of the self-life are obvious: Sexual immorality, lustful thoughts, pornography, 20 chasing after things instead of God, manipulating others, hatred of those who get in your way, senseless arguments, resentment when others are favored, temper tantrums, angry quarrels, only thinking of yourself, being in love with your own opinions, 21 being envious of the blessings of others, murder, uncontrolled addictions, wild parties, and all other similar behavior.
Haven’t I already warned you that those who use their “freedom” for these things will not inherit the kingdom realm of God!
22–23 But the fruit produced by the Holy Spirit within you is divine love in all its varied expressions:
the joy that overflows,
the peace that subdues,
patience that endures,
kindness in action,
a life full of virtue,
faith that prevails,
the gentleness of heart, and
strength of spirit.
Never set the law above these qualities, for they are meant to be limitless.
24 Keep in mind that we who belong to Jesus, the Anointed One, have already experienced crucifixion. For everything connected with our self - life was put to death on the cross and crucified with Messiah. 25 We must live in the Holy Spirit and follow after him. 26 So may we never be arrogant, or look down on another, for each of us is an original. We must forsake all jealousy that diminishes the value of others.
