As Yourself!

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, with all your mind and 'Love your neighbor As Yourself.'"

- Jesus, Luke 10:27

"I cannot truly love another until I first truly love the One [Jesus] who died for me!"

- Anonymous

I don't know that anyone is harder on me than me. Anyone know what I'm talking about? I tend to be more critical of myself than my worst critic. I tend to be more judgmental toward myself than anyone I know. When I fall short and make a mistake… if Candace sees it and points it out (Bless her heart… Smile)... Oh, don't misunderstand, I'll get defensive and maybe protest, but inside, the voice of my conscience is whispering, "I know, I know, I know already!"

The real reason I'm upset is because…

...I know the flaw in me...

...I feel the mistake in me...

...I see the sin in me all too well...

Again, am I all alone here? Or do you know what I'm saying?

Here's one thing I know to be true: the face we show to ourselves is the face we show to the world.

Let me explain what I mean. In my personal struggle to be a good husband, a good father, a good grandfather, a good man… guess what? If I don't genuinely love and enjoy myself, I will not be able to genuinely love and enjoy others! If I do not offer myself grace, how is it possible for me to offer anyone else grace? The rigidity with which I hold myself to some standard will be the rigidity that I hold others to the same standard!

This is precisely why Jesus told us that the greatest commandment of all is to love God and to love our neighbor… what?... “as yourself!" Did you catch that? We are to love God and love our neighbor just As we love ourselves!

Jesus knows that we cannot love others unless we love ourselves. Jesus knows that the care we take of ourselves… the compassion we show to ourselves… will be the compassion we show to others.

Two days ago, a doctor at Scripps Memorial Hospital placed a stent in the largest artery of my heart because there was a significant obstruction that was preventing blood from flowing to a large part of my heart. Immediately, as the blockage was removed, and oxygen-rich blood began to flow into that starved part of my heart… Wow! I felt like someone had lifted a ton of bricks off of me. Suddenly, my heart felt so light, so free, so happy! That doctor gave me an amazing gift - he gave me the gift of life. When he came in to discharge me from the hospital, I took his hand, looked him in the eye, and said, "Doctor, you have given me a gift! I will not squander it! I will live the best life I can with the gift you have given me!"

So, this week… "As yourself!" Descend into your heart. Own the gift you have been given by the God who created you, who saved you, who sustains you, who loves you. And, maybe for the first time, realize what a treasure you are! God forgave you because you have great value! God gave you a second chance because you have infinite worth. God has given you grace because you are priceless beyond measure! So for Heaven's sake, be nice to yourself!

And now, let the face you turn to yourself be the face you turn to those in your world! AMEN

Pastor Harry

‍