There is a difference between pride and having self worth. God does not expect us to be self deprecating.
Matthew 22:34 (KJV)
[34] But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. [35] Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, [36] Master, which is the great commandment in the law? [37] Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. [38] This is the first and great commandment. [39] And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Jesus tells the Pharisees that in order to love others, we have to first love ourselves.
I have known people who I could tell had such a low self-esteem by how they treated other people. If they had a good self-esteem they treated others kindly and respectfully. If they had a bad self-esteem they treated others rudely and unkind.
Jesus says that the comand is to love ourselves. It is not a suggestion, it was a command.
Jesus was not saying we should have pride. Jesus was saying we need to understand who we are. We are the child of God. As a child of God we need to treat ourselves like we are an heir to a kingdom.
A good example of this is found in Luke 15
Look at Luke 15:11-24
Luke 15:11 (KJV)
[11] And he said, A certain man had two sons: [12] And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living. [13] And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. [14] And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. [15] And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. [16] And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him. [17] And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! [18] I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, [19] And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. [20] And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. [21] And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. [22] But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: [23] And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: [24] For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.
In order to truly love yourself you have to realize who you are in God. V. 17
God doesn’t see you just as a servant. He sees you as His child, no matter where you have been or what you have done.
The prodigal son treated himself like he was nothing more than a worker on a pig farm. Then decided to be just a servant.
The father refused to treat him like a servant and treated him like his son.
The elder son treated himself like he was just a worker on the father’s farm. The father explained what being a son really is. “All that I have is thine”.
We miss out on certain blessings because we don’t understand what it is to be the child of God.
Thank you Lord for being my heavenly father. You have been so good to me. I don't always feel like I deserve your blessings, but you want to bless me. Help me today to see myself as your child and know that you love me. You are so kind.
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