Reflections

It is good when we are able to love ourselves.  Yet such love can be distorted too.  2 Timothy 3:1-2 (NIV) 1  But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2  People will be lovers of themselves…

Here, the self-love is overboard.  It is not about having a healthy self-esteem but a love centred upon oneself.  A love that elevates self above God and the things of God!  It is a misdirected love.  When we direct our love to ourselves, over God – we begin to act out of self-will rather than towards God’s will.  And that is how Adam and Even fell.  Because they believed that they too can be as God and acted out of self-love. 

The danger in some churches today is to over-emphasise on gaining a positive self-image, having a love for oneself, etc but neglect to have it anchored upon a love for God.  

Some claim that it is not possible to love God without first loving himself rightly.  Yet self-love is best gained through experiencing God’s love.  For God’s love demonstrates true love as it should be.  It is when we experience love shown to us, it is when we discover how valuable we are to God, that we begin to love ourselves rightly.