God wants us to have great relationships not only with him but with other people to. Not only that but he wants you to have a great relationship with yourself! Yes that's right you actually have to get along with yourself. But self-rejection and self-hatred well...that's a problem! In fact, I've found the Bible to be a book about relationships, providing valuable advice about my relationship with God, other people and even myself.
I spend more time with myself than with anyone else, its vital that I get along with myself. Remember, you are the one person you never get away from. Have you ever worked with a person you just didn't get along with? How about bringing that same person home with you everyday, for the rest of your life. We can't get away from ourselves, not even for one second. We must find peace with ourselves.
Sometimes we fall prey to self-rejection because we feel as though know one else loves us or accepts us. I have dealt with issue for many years growing up. I felt as though I wasn't good enough to be loved or accepted as me. I looked in all the magazines and read all the books on how to be someone else. I didn't realize that I couldn't be someone else and I needed to learn to accept me as I am...my flaws and all! Because we think others do not love us, we feel as if we must not be worth loving. Oh so many times I have said to myself "I'm worthless," "I'm nothing," "I don't deserve love." I look back at my younger self and I wish that I could change those thoughts into self-love. I allowed my whole teenage life to be filled with self hate. Sometimes I couldn't even look myself in the mirror. My heart was crying out to be someone or something else. I wish I could wrap my arms around my old self and tell her "You are worthy, you are beautiful, you are smart, you are loved." We need to love ourselves! It is so important to have love for ourselves. How could we love someone else if we don't love ourselves! You don't have to be selfish or self-centered to love yourself but you must have a balance, Godly love that affirms God's creation as essentially good and right. We may be flawed by unfortunate events and circumstances but that doesn't mean we're worthless or good-for nothing!
We must have the kind of love for ourselves that says, "I know God loves me, so I can love what God chooses to love. I don't love everything I do, but I accept myself because God accepts me." We must develop the kind of mature love that says, "I know I need to change, and I want to change. In fact, I believe God is changing me daily, but during this process, I will not reject what God accepts. I'll accept myself as I am right now, knowing that I will not always remain this way."
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