Love Thyself
3 Feb
Jesus Teaching
One day while Jesus was preaching, he was approached by a crafty lawyer who thought he could entrap the Savior with a seemingly ‘unanswerable’ question. He asked: “Master, which is the great commandment in the law?”
Jesus proceeded to give one of the most powerful sermons recorded. He clarified the greatest commandment was two-fold;
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“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.”
“And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” [Matt 22:36-38]
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Perhaps one of the most overlooked of these commands is that we must love ourselves. In the United States the month of February focuses on the theme of love. It culminates with the celebration of St. Valentine’s Day. This year, I encouarge each of us to ponder what it really means to “love thyself“.~~
Just three months before his death, LDS apostle and counselor President James E. Faust, offered this powerful insight:
Pres. James E. Faust
“The commandment given by the Savior was to love others and yourself. Am I secure enough in my love of myself to laugh at myself, to admit mistakes, to graciously accept a compliment? Am I secure in my love of others to smile and say hello to a perfect stranger?
…I testify that God loves each of us—warts and all. I testify that he knows each of our names. I testify that each of us has a potential in this life and beyond the grave that exceeds our fondest dreams. I testify through the gifts of the Holy Spirit that we are engaged in His holy work.- James E. Faust “The Value of Self Esteem“
Take some time to reflect upon the Greatest Valentine Gift the world has ever received. Never forget your worth in the eyes of God. May you desire to follow our Savior’s command more fully, to Love Thyself, as He does!
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Tags: commandments, James E. Faust, jesus christ, love, Valentine
Beautiful article. Wonderful just to listen to the choir SING their testimony of the Savior’s love. I, too feel His love and His loving arms around me. Thank you for sharing your hope and faith in the Savior’s abundant love by writing this post. It lifted my spirit today.
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I definitely agree that “loving ourselves” is the most overlooked commandment. I think it’s difficult to love yourself and not feel prideful.
Thanks for the great reminder.