My older sister is a huge country fan. One of her favorite singers since she has been young is Tim McGraw. He sings a song entitled "One of These Days." The song is about love and how everyone is searching for it, not only in other people but also in yourself. At the end, McGraw sings, "One of these days, I'm gonna love me and feel the joy of sweet release. One of these days, I'll rise above me and at last I'll find some peace...One of these days, I'm gonna love me."
God created us in his infinite wisdom to feel some kind of emptiness that is only filled when we find someone we truly connect with, who we love, who loves us, who we feel we can share eternity with. Part of that empty part of us is left empty until we also find love for ourselves.
We are told in Leviticus 19:18, in Matt 5:43-44, in Matt 23:37-40, Romans 13:9, and again in Galatians, James, Mosiah and even the Doctrine and Covenants "Love thy neighbor as thyself." It is one of the great commandments ever given to us by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and something he showed through great example. When I read this commandment, there is one part of it that always sticks out to me. We are to love our neighbor, that is true and important, but the commandment is to love them as we love ourselves. That means we have been commanded to love us! Isn't that great!? And when we don't, we cannot truly fulfill this commandment.
A really important part of life is finding love in us, for us. God wants us to be happy with who we are. I was once told that when we allow a negative self-image to come into our thoughts, we are mocking God. He created us just the way we are and when we are discontented with that we are telling God that he did not do a good job. I know that no one looks at themselves and says, "I look ugly. Great job God *mumble mumble*" But isn't that kind of what we are doing? God made you! God's perfect! What does that mean for you?
President Thomas S. Monson (who I just love to pieces!) said, "To live greatly, we must develop the capacity to face trouble with courage, disappointment with cheerfulness, and triumph with humility. You ask, “How might we achieve these goals?” I answer, “By gaining a true perspective of who we really are!” We are sons and daughters of a living God, in whose image we have been created. Think of that: created in the image of God. We cannot sincerely hold this conviction without experiencing a profound new sense of strength and power."
To go along with that, there is a well known quote (often incorrectly credited to Nelson Mandela) by Marianne Williamson that says, "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.' We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same."
I love this quote. Especially for the very end, "We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us... As we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same." Love yourself and it helps others love themselves too? Very, very cool. We strive to help others when we can. Helping them love themselves can be easy: it requires no money, no hard work, no sacrifice. It is simple: strive to love yourself and let it show through your bearing and actions.
So as McGraw wrote, "One of these days, I'm gonna love me," let that day be today. Because who knows how many more each of us has. Be happy! Smile at yourself in the mirror and say, "Great job Father!" and then maybe wink and do a little dance or something. I think He'll like that.
God created us in his infinite wisdom to feel some kind of emptiness that is only filled when we find someone we truly connect with, who we love, who loves us, who we feel we can share eternity with. Part of that empty part of us is left empty until we also find love for ourselves.
We are told in Leviticus 19:18, in Matt 5:43-44, in Matt 23:37-40, Romans 13:9, and again in Galatians, James, Mosiah and even the Doctrine and Covenants "Love thy neighbor as thyself." It is one of the great commandments ever given to us by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and something he showed through great example. When I read this commandment, there is one part of it that always sticks out to me. We are to love our neighbor, that is true and important, but the commandment is to love them as we love ourselves. That means we have been commanded to love us! Isn't that great!? And when we don't, we cannot truly fulfill this commandment.
A really important part of life is finding love in us, for us. God wants us to be happy with who we are. I was once told that when we allow a negative self-image to come into our thoughts, we are mocking God. He created us just the way we are and when we are discontented with that we are telling God that he did not do a good job. I know that no one looks at themselves and says, "I look ugly. Great job God *mumble mumble*" But isn't that kind of what we are doing? God made you! God's perfect! What does that mean for you?
President Thomas S. Monson (who I just love to pieces!) said, "To live greatly, we must develop the capacity to face trouble with courage, disappointment with cheerfulness, and triumph with humility. You ask, “How might we achieve these goals?” I answer, “By gaining a true perspective of who we really are!” We are sons and daughters of a living God, in whose image we have been created. Think of that: created in the image of God. We cannot sincerely hold this conviction without experiencing a profound new sense of strength and power."
To go along with that, there is a well known quote (often incorrectly credited to Nelson Mandela) by Marianne Williamson that says, "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.' We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same."
I love this quote. Especially for the very end, "We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us... As we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same." Love yourself and it helps others love themselves too? Very, very cool. We strive to help others when we can. Helping them love themselves can be easy: it requires no money, no hard work, no sacrifice. It is simple: strive to love yourself and let it show through your bearing and actions.
So as McGraw wrote, "One of these days, I'm gonna love me," let that day be today. Because who knows how many more each of us has. Be happy! Smile at yourself in the mirror and say, "Great job Father!" and then maybe wink and do a little dance or something. I think He'll like that.
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