1. Believers can love themselves as taught in 1 Corinthians 13
1 Corinthians 13:4-8: Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no
evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all
things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. But whether there
are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there
is knowledge, it will vanish away.
What does it mean that love is kind? How can we be kind to ourselves? What does it mean that love thinks no evil?
How can we be evil to ourselves? Negative self-talk? Thinking low-esteeming thoughts about ourselves: "I can’t do this. I’ll never change. Nobody loves me!"
We need to cut ourselves the same slack that we do to others. We can allow ourselves to make mistakes (and learn from those mistakes or better learn from mistakes of others). And others will try to cut us down, so we shouldn’t do that to ourselves.
Here’s a list of other things related to what we just read in the verses above. Listen and think about what are some things in this list that you have done or do to yourself:
- Are you patient with yourself?
- Do you wish you had something or some attribute someone else has?
- Do you get angry with yourself, keep record of wrongs you have done, beat yourself up, do you not accept yourself, denying yourself the joy you should have?
- Do you loose hope in yourself?
- Do you give up on yourself?
- Do you lie to yourself?
- Do you fail yourself by being too hard?
2. How do we learn to love and put these into practice?
A. Meditate and discipline - Review Bible verses that discuss love and apply
them to ourselves. Philippians 4:8: Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.
What happens if you work outside in the dirt? You get dirty! On the contrary, we need to stay focused on true, pure, lovely things if we are to be like those things.
B. 3Rs - Recognize, Remove and Replace (The Power of Biblical Thinking, Dr. Ken Wilson)
Recognize the lies or misbeliefs we have in our life about actions, reactions, or overreactions. Remove them and replace them with positive, true thinking.
In the stage of Replacing comes the realization (maybe this process should be called 4Rs) that in Christ, we are beautiful, sons and daughters of the King, perfect, pure, lovely, and worthy to be called
children of God.
C. Balance – look at our emotional, physical, spiritual, and mental needs and look
for ways to balance them.
How can you balance Godly rest with Godly work?
Balance school with taking time to read the Bible, pray and enjoy the blessings God has
given you.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8: Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no
evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all
things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. But whether there
are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there
is knowledge, it will vanish away.
What does it mean that love is kind? How can we be kind to ourselves? What does it mean that love thinks no evil?
How can we be evil to ourselves? Negative self-talk? Thinking low-esteeming thoughts about ourselves: "I can’t do this. I’ll never change. Nobody loves me!"
We need to cut ourselves the same slack that we do to others. We can allow ourselves to make mistakes (and learn from those mistakes or better learn from mistakes of others). And others will try to cut us down, so we shouldn’t do that to ourselves.
Here’s a list of other things related to what we just read in the verses above. Listen and think about what are some things in this list that you have done or do to yourself:
- Are you patient with yourself?
- Do you wish you had something or some attribute someone else has?
- Do you get angry with yourself, keep record of wrongs you have done, beat yourself up, do you not accept yourself, denying yourself the joy you should have?
- Do you loose hope in yourself?
- Do you give up on yourself?
- Do you lie to yourself?
- Do you fail yourself by being too hard?
2. How do we learn to love and put these into practice?
A. Meditate and discipline - Review Bible verses that discuss love and apply
them to ourselves. Philippians 4:8: Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.
What happens if you work outside in the dirt? You get dirty! On the contrary, we need to stay focused on true, pure, lovely things if we are to be like those things.
B. 3Rs - Recognize, Remove and Replace (The Power of Biblical Thinking, Dr. Ken Wilson)
Recognize the lies or misbeliefs we have in our life about actions, reactions, or overreactions. Remove them and replace them with positive, true thinking.
In the stage of Replacing comes the realization (maybe this process should be called 4Rs) that in Christ, we are beautiful, sons and daughters of the King, perfect, pure, lovely, and worthy to be called
children of God.
C. Balance – look at our emotional, physical, spiritual, and mental needs and look
for ways to balance them.
How can you balance Godly rest with Godly work?
Balance school with taking time to read the Bible, pray and enjoy the blessings God has
given you.
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