Love yourself
Last week I went to see the film Bohemian Rhapsody. It was a bit of a nostalgic trip back to the 80's and 90's although I enjoy he music of Queen this film look at the character to Freddie Mercury. Although I enjoyed the film I felt sad when I left. Freddie had tried to fill his life with love by looking for it in sex drinking and drugs. He was a road to self destruction and in the end it got him.
In the Gospel today we hear the law of love. You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your strength and with all your understanding and your neighbour as yourself. I am guessing that for most of us, by virtue of us being here today have a pretty good understanding of love for God. I am guessing that is why we are here. The other two parts for most of us are a little problematic.
Love of neighbour is fine until we actually have to love those that we find difficult those who we find diffuicult. As I often say those for whom you would not even share a taxi with. But what I want to dwell on a little longer is love yourself. It seems that for many of us this is the most difficult. So what prevents us from loving ourselves. Maybe its social influences from social media which leads to self criticism. Maybe there are times when we judge ourselves too harshly we may damage ourselves by words or actions. Sometimes It is easier to see the image of God in others rather than in ourselves. In one sense this is self harm because we do not truly appreciate the image of God in ourselves.
We need to realise and make that journey from the head to the heart that we are loved by Jesus that if we were the only people in the world that Jesus would have still died for us. We need to make that journey from the head the heart from knowing the Love of Jesus to feeling it in the depth of our being. Allowing Jesus to enter into our hearts and get rid if the self destruction that we are set upon. To Grow in his love and love ourselves as God loves us recognising and allowing ourselves to love the good as well as the areas of growth.
To love oneself then is a life long commitment and often involves many difficult things to contend with. It involves slowly getting to know who you are as a person, it also involves a lot of change in mind and sometimes in body. I realised as I was once 22 stone that I found it difficult to love myself. I used food as a form of self congratulations, treating myself with what I thought was needed. I realised then that I this was self destruction I needed to learn to accept myself and love who I was. Gradually, and I still battle with it, I have learnt to live myself and therefore accept the love of God for me. True self esteem comes not with others love but knowing that God loves you that Jesus died for you that he is for us. Only, by doing this can we really truly be free. Only by doing this can we truly know our self worth and love our neighbour as ourselves. Only in listening and accepting in prayer can we truly see that we are loved and God children.
In the Gospel today we hear the law of love. You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your strength and with all your understanding and your neighbour as yourself. I am guessing that for most of us, by virtue of us being here today have a pretty good understanding of love for God. I am guessing that is why we are here. The other two parts for most of us are a little problematic.
Love of neighbour is fine until we actually have to love those that we find difficult those who we find diffuicult. As I often say those for whom you would not even share a taxi with. But what I want to dwell on a little longer is love yourself. It seems that for many of us this is the most difficult. So what prevents us from loving ourselves. Maybe its social influences from social media which leads to self criticism. Maybe there are times when we judge ourselves too harshly we may damage ourselves by words or actions. Sometimes It is easier to see the image of God in others rather than in ourselves. In one sense this is self harm because we do not truly appreciate the image of God in ourselves.
We need to realise and make that journey from the head to the heart that we are loved by Jesus that if we were the only people in the world that Jesus would have still died for us. We need to make that journey from the head the heart from knowing the Love of Jesus to feeling it in the depth of our being. Allowing Jesus to enter into our hearts and get rid if the self destruction that we are set upon. To Grow in his love and love ourselves as God loves us recognising and allowing ourselves to love the good as well as the areas of growth.
To love oneself then is a life long commitment and often involves many difficult things to contend with. It involves slowly getting to know who you are as a person, it also involves a lot of change in mind and sometimes in body. I realised as I was once 22 stone that I found it difficult to love myself. I used food as a form of self congratulations, treating myself with what I thought was needed. I realised then that I this was self destruction I needed to learn to accept myself and love who I was. Gradually, and I still battle with it, I have learnt to live myself and therefore accept the love of God for me. True self esteem comes not with others love but knowing that God loves you that Jesus died for you that he is for us. Only, by doing this can we really truly be free. Only by doing this can we truly know our self worth and love our neighbour as ourselves. Only in listening and accepting in prayer can we truly see that we are loved and God children.
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