People can only love you in the degree that they love themselves and vice versa!
Seek God’s love, get deliverance, then work on relationships!
LOVE YOURSELF HOW YOU WANT OTHERS TO LOVE YOU!
Leviticus 19:18 Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.
Usually at the times when I feel the most neglected in love, distant, and unappreciated; those are the times when I’m not really happy with myself. I have gotten too busy with everyday life and denied myself the things that keep my purpose alive. I am like Mary in the story of Martha and Mary when Jesus came to their house (Luke 10:38-42). I am a worshipper and would rather stay at His feet then do busy work. When I don’t take the time to get into intimacy with God, I become extremely frustrated. This is because in worship, I hear the voice of God, He shows me things, and I feel the love of His presence. This is uniquely tied to my purpose and charges who I am. I have to stay in fellowship with God. My husband can’t replace the presence of Jesus. In His presence, I know who I am and can perfectly love myself. In return, my husband can fully love me because I am being who God called me to be.
I know there is work that needs to be done. I can’t neglect my home, my husband, my kids, or other natural responsibilities, but I have to stay in balance or frustration fills my home affecting everybody.
What is your purpose? What charges your spirit? What do you do that makes you feel the love of God causing you to love yourself? Are you doing those things? Next time you are feeling unloved. Ask yourself these questions. Evaluate yourself first and bring those things to Jesus. Let Him love on you and bring you back to a place of self-love. It will open up a door for you to love more deeply and for your spouse to love you more as well.
Mark 12:29-31 (NKJV)
29 Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’[a] This is the first commandment.[b] 31 And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’[c] There is no other commandment greater than these.”
God has to be first. When God is first we know His love. We can love ourselves and our neighbor (or spouse) in the same way. Without God it is impossible to love completely. When we bring our emptiness to God, he is sure to fill it with His love. He will heal every broken place and deliver every unclean place. He is Lord over our lives and over our marriages. He is the head coach of our team, without him we have no direction, instruction, or encouragement.
So today, let’s evaluate how we feel about ourselves before making our spouses responsible for our emotions. Let’s reconnect with our first love and know that we are loved with an everlasting love. Let’s be reminded of who God says we are and what He has called us to do.
Father, we thank You for Your everlasting love. Forgive us for getting too busy to connect with You and blaming others for the way that we feel about ourselves. Show us how to love you completely so we may love ourselves and in return love our spouse in the same way. Heal our hearts and deliver us from anything that is hindering how we love or receive love. We put You first and ask You to resurrect our purpose and establish our identity in You. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen!