Women in Christ: Loving Ourselves

As we move in to February I thought it would be appropriate to focus a bit on the attribute of Love. Not just because it’s February but because personally I think that if we want to better understand our role in this world according to the gospel of Christ we have to start with Christ’s main attribute which I believe is love. 

I think that when we look at the gospel and we look at the stories of Christ’s life we have to look at it through the lens of love. When I’ve struggled with something it’s often helped to go back and remember that Christ never acts without love so I have to figure out why or how it shows love and then I can start to understand.

So for this week I wanted to start off with love for ourselves. I think this is important because we can’t really love other people if we don’t have a love for ourselves. It’s like on a plane – in case of emergency put your own oxygen mask on before helping others.

I think there’s a right way and a wrong way to go about this. It’s easy to become selfish and prideful and whatnot but that’s not Christ’s way. I think if we want to go about it Christ’s way we will love ourselves because we are able to see ourselves as Christ sees us. 

A long time ago I heard a phrase that stuck in my mind “God doesn’t make junk” God created us as his final and perfect creation. It was only after men and women had been created that the world was deemed very good and completed. God created us, He knows each of us, He is the father of our spirits and we are His children. He loves us and wants us to bless us and have us return to Him.

Yesterday at church we sang a song called “I Stand All Amazed”. It really made me think about my worth in the eyes of Savior. The lyrics are:

I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me,

Confused at the grace that so fully he proffers me.

I tremble to know that for me he was crucified,

That for me, a sinner, he suffered, he bled and died.

I marvel that he would descend from his throne divine

To rescue a soul so rebellious and proud as mine,

That he should extend his great love unto such as I,

Sufficient to own, to redeem, and to justify.

I think of his hands pierced and bleeding to pay the debt!

Such mercy, such love and devotion can I forget?

No, no, I will praise and adore at the mercy seat,

Until at the glorified throne I kneel at his feet.

Oh, it is wonderful that he should care for me

Enough to die for me!

Oh, it is wonderful, wonderful to me!

Christ loves us. Each of us – you and me. He atoned for us in the Garden of Gethsemane and died for us on the Cross of Calgary so that we could be cleansed from our sins and come to live with Him again in Heaven. When we forget that, when we feel like we’ll never be good enough, like we’re all alone, like no one will ever love us – that is Satan. God loved us so He sent His son. Christ loved us so much that He was willing to drink the bitter cup. All we have to do is remember their love for us and know that in the eyes of God we are all loved more than we are able to fully understand.