Myself

[00:00:07] Speaker A: Welcome to the Weekday podcast of Sugar Hill Church, where we desire to help you know God and discover your purpose, whether you're exercising, driving, meditating, or just hanging out while you tune in with us today. Thanks. We hope these next five minutes help you feel encouraged and inspired for your day. [00:00:22] Speaker B: Hi friends, this is Chuck Allen. And thanks again for joining me on today's weekday podcast where we're in the third part of this overlooked part of Jesus Great commandment From Matthew, chapter 22. Let me go back to the text. In verse 37, Jesus says, you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, your soul and your mind. And this is the first and greatest commandment. We talked about that on Monday. A second is equally important. Love your neighbor as yourself. We talked about that Wednesday, but we didn't get into the deep parts of it. Jesus really goes after the last of it by saying the entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments, literally meaning no matter what else you do, you got to do that. But he's clear. You got to love God. You're supposed to love others like you love God, and you got to love others the way you love yourself. Well, it's interesting that Jesus assumes we already love ourselves, isn't it? He uses self love as the measure for how we should love others. But what does healthy self love really look like from a Christian perspective? I've encountered a lot of folks who struggle with this concept. They worry that loving themselves might be selfish or uncomfortable Christian. But here's the truth. God created you, knows you intimately, and loves you deeply. Learning to love yourself isn't about ego or pride. It's about accepting and honoring God's love for you. I think that's fascinating. This isn't about ego. This isn't about pride. This is about seeing you the way God sees you. You're his creation. You're his masterpiece. I seem to always bring up these thoughts of remembrance when I counsel people. But I counseled a woman, this is probably five years ago now, who was excellent at caring for other people, but terrible at caring for herself. She was exhausted. She was burnt out. She's struggling with her faith. I mean, truly. She's struggling with her marriage. And over a few conversations, she began to understand that taking care of herself wasn't selfish. It was simply necessary for her to fully both love God and others. Healthy self love, y'all, means accepting God's forgiveness and extending it to yourself. It means taking care of your physical, emotional and spiritual needs. It means setting healthy boundaries that you will honor in your relationships and recognizing your worth as God's beloved creation. This isn't about narcissism. This isn't about self absorption. This is about stewarding the life God has given you. And when we love ourselves in a healthy way, well, we're better equipped to love others well. Jesus demonstrated this healthy balance perfectly. He took time to rest, time to pray, and time to retreat when he needed to. But he also gave Himself fully to others. His self love wasn't selfish, it was sustainable. Think about that one. We've got to move to sustainable self love. So as we conclude our series on the Great Commandment, I want to encourage you to reflect. Are you loving yourself as God loves you? Are you treating yourself with the same grace and compassion he offers others? Wait a minute, you mean the same grace and compassion he calls you to offer others as well? Wow, that's a mouthful. Remember, friend, you are fearfully and wonderfully made. And God made no mistake when he made the wonderful you. Learning to love yourself isn't just permitted, it's commanded. It's part of loving God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength. So on this weekday podcast, this is your friend and pastor Chuck Allen. Thank you for joining me on the journey through the Great Commandment. I pray that you'd experience the fullness of God's love for him, for others, and for yourself. God bless you, friend. See you next time on the weekday podcast. [00:04:21] Speaker A: Thanks so much for joining us today for the weekday podcast. Our prayer is that the encouragement you just heard would help you live more like Jesus today. We would love to see you at Sugar Hill Church for one of our gatherings each Sunday at 9, 15 and 11. And we're always streaming live at Live Sugarhill Church. Thanks again for joining us today. As always, if today's message encouraged you, share it with friends and family by tapping the share button. Have an awesome. [00:04:53] Speaker B: Don't.