Here’s something I have gotten a few other Christians upset with me about…. I thought I’d throw it out here and see what people think……
It starts with a Scripture where Jesus is asked which is the most important commandment and Christ answered….
“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
I believe to love your neighbor as yourself is only powerful if the assumption is that you love yourself.
Then it gets more impactful (in my humble call) when you consider Christ also said “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.” John 15: 12
If I to love my neighbor as myself and love as Christ loves me, then should I love myself as Christ loves me? I think so.
And that is when some get bent out of shape. Somehow, we got the impression that we must despise ourselves to be holy.
Now, I agree if you think I’m saying we are self-centered, happy in our sin, our own god type love. We are not called to that at all. Actually we are called to humble ourselves (grieve, mourn) before the Lord but then HE will lift us up! James 4
Once we have submitted ourselves and He lifts us up, then I believe we are to love ourselves like Christ loves us. It is an honest, humble, powerful, over powering love through His eyes. Just some basic rambling…… thoughts?
This is actually becoming a very popular idea. Just the other day I heard another Christian make the same argument. The problem is, it’s just not biblical. Specifically, this argument fails on two points:
1. That verse just doesn’t say what you seem to want it to say. The statement “love others as yourself” instructs you to love others–it does not instruct you to love yourself. At best, the verse operates under the presumption that you already love yourself, but (as I’ll get to in a second) I doubt that’s what it’s saying either.
2. Love of self makes no sense from a biblical perspective. Love, as defined in the Bible, is always sacrificial–it’s about putting others ahead of ourselves. In fact, John 15:13 tells us that the ultimate expression of love is to lay down our life for others (as Christ did for us). But, how exactly do you lay down your life for yourself? How do you put yourself ahead of yourself? It makes no sense. The only way love of self makes sense is to define love in a way that is contrary to the Bible.
Now, let me say that I understand the idea that you’re trying to get across here and, in fact, I agree with it. But I disagree with how you’re trying to get there.
Hey Maudin,
Dude, I’m just happy to hear from ya! How ya been?
I think I see the point you are trying to make though habe a different view on it odviously… I am defining love as loving as Christ loves you (per the John 15 part). That’s a very honest, Christ center, sacrifical, grace based love…. not defined the same as the way the world would define it. I think if we love ourselves as as Christ loves us then it matches up.
Blessings!
Good points. This kind of goes along the lines of my thoughts lately. Loving myself, not judging myself so harshly, and acknowledging that once I confess and receive forgiveness thru Jesus, it is done, so I can forgive myself as well are all areas I need to work on.
Thanks for the good read!