As I pondered the best way to help you understand the value of a healthy you, God brought to my attention the scripture, Mark 12:30-31 (NIV), “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

 

This is Jesus himself speaking about this new commandment, to love God first, then your neighbor. But the problem with broken singles is that we don’t always know how to love God or our neighbor because we don’t yet know how to love ourselves. And since love in its primary nature is a giver; we have to know how to love ourselves to be equipped to extend that love to others.

 

Listen, I understand how the hurts, the pains, the sorrows and the shame that you may have experienced have caused you to loath or hate yourself. I did for a long time and it took God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit to “destroy all the works of the devil” in my heart, mind, soul, and body. I was a mess of a child, adolescent and woman, until I found out that God loves me, and He wanted me. All that pain will intrinsically lead you to believe that because some people could hurt you, that all people will hurt you, and that there is no one that cares about you. But that’s so far from the truth!!!

 

Years ago, God had me write out my own sorted story. It’s now a book that came out in the Summer of 2021. I cried through the entire first chapter because I was terrified to look back at all of that hurtful stuff that had caused me to despise my life. Yet, it was the second most edifying thing I could’ve done for my life. The first was confessing my sins to Jesus and inviting Him to be my Lord and Savior. 

 

Looking at your life on paper is truly an “eye opening” experience! Oh, my Lord!!! But for me, it was the thing I needed to do to see the real me. Examining the truth about my life gave me a greater understanding of how I became so wounded in my soul, which is what God wanted me to see.

 

Now I am asking you to look deep within your own story to see where your pain began. Don’t be afraid, this is no longer your reality, just a painful and shameful memory that you will overcome if you face it. Let God walk you in and out of your past pain, hurt, sorrow, and shame so you won’t continue to run from it. Ask Him to strengthen you to stand up against the mess that messed you up, so you can move forward into your new life and purpose in Christ.

 

You must learn to love the new you, but you can’t if you’re still hating yourself and your life. Forgive the people that hurt you, and forgive yourself for hurting you. That part of your past has passed. Now thank God for the new person you’ve become in Him. And remember that “Love begins with you” and all you need to do now is let others enjoy it with you. 

 

Prayer:

Father, I seek Your face and Your strength to help me face my past. I am asking for Your guidance to overcome the pain of my past and to help me become the new creation in Christ Jesus that You say I am as Your child. As those memories resurface in my mind, help me not to cast them down, but to face each one as a conqueror. I am determined not to live in my past, hurt, pain, sorrow, or shame any longer. Today, I will face that giant and slay it. Help me to take notice of your presence that was there with me all along, and to see that You are still with me now. My past won’t change, but from this day forward, I won’t let it control me or change me. Thank You for Your loving support, guidance, and strength. I am nothing without You, but “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13, NIV). In the name of Jesus Christ, amen!