Day 48 - 90 Days in Proverbs - Self-love
Proverbs 8:35-36 [NKJV] 35 For whoever finds me finds life, And obtains favor from the LORD; 36 But he who sins against me wrongs his own soul; All those who hate me love death.
For most normal people, self-preservation is a strong force in guiding our lives and every decision me make.
Matthew 22:39 [NKJV] tells us: "And [the] second [is] like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself. This phrase – “love your neighbor as yourself” — is repeated not only in the other gospels but also in Romans 13:9; Galatians 5:14 and James 2:8. This admonition is also found in the Old Testament in Leviticus 19:18 [NKJV] You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I [am] the LORD.
Ephesians 5:28 [NKJV] tells us: So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself.
God understands that a normal, healthy person loves himself. He never asks us not to love ourselves, only to extend that same love to others.
Solomon understood that a healthy love of self is appropriate. Therefore, he outlined the fact that finding and using wisdom is a way of loving yourself in the right way. He points out that rejecting wisdom is a form of self-hatred.
When we find wisdom, we find favor with God because finding true wisdom means finding God Himself – discovering His mind, His ways, His words and His guidance. Learning the wisdom of God, and learning to love God’s wisdom, is part of a Christians walk. The wisdom of God is not the same as the wisdom of mankind, which can include a false idea of preserving myself – one that is selfish in its motivation rather than focusing on loving others as much as myself.
Loving God’s wisdom brings us into a marital relationship with Jesus. Jesus is not only the Perfect Lamb of God and our empathetic High Priest, He is also husband to the Church – the called out ones. In that role, He has already proven that He loves us more than His own body. He was willing to sacrifice that human body to preserve His spiritual bride.
Sisters, seek God’s wisdom and come under the protection of Jesus. It is the ultimate in self-love and self-preservation. It is self-love that gives us the tools and perspective we need in order to love others.
Prayer — Father God, I seek Your wisdom – to know it, to understand it and to be guided by it in everything I do. I love You. I love Your word, the Bible, which outlines Your Wisdom for me. Please fill me with your Holy Spirit, which will guide me in all wisdom throughout all the days of my life. Please grant me favor and preserve me from eternal death by Your wisdom. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Your thoughts —
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