WHAT'S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT?

As a young 8 year old, I use to attend a small Baptist church near my house called Dean Hall. I wasn’t a Baptist. I was raised a Catholic but because Dean Hall was 2 minutes away I attended the vibrant Sunday school after my Catholic church service.  The Sunday school lessons were fun and those who attended regularly received prizes. So I made it my goal to be there every Sunday. There was so much love in Dean Hall of which I have very fond memories. 

EARLY YEARS

At Dean Hall I learned about selfless love. I learned that is was so important to love my neighbour as myself. I learned the stories of the Samaritan and that it was important to treat others just like myself. The core of the message at Dean Hall was love and selflessness. I was taught to always think about others more than myself just as Jesus did. And as an 8 year old, this message stuck with me right up to adulthood until myself and my husband joined the Pentecostal movement in 1998.

CHILDHOOD MEMORIES RE-IGNITED

ME ME ME BECAME SO IMPORTANT

I was no longer taught about selflessness, rather I was taught I was the head not the tail. I was told that I was the most important person in the world because I was God’s child.  My needs mattered more than anything else. I was taught how God was going to favour me, bless me, proposer me and elevate me me me. I got carried away with all this me, me me and my daily prayer was ‘’God what have you done for me lately’’. I needed a deep spiritual walk and we moved to Jesus House London. But we relocated to Lagos in 2008 and me, me, me, way of teaching was heightened in some churches.  

ME ME ME ME ME ME

MOVING TO SOLID FOOD

But now I know better. I have returned to what I was taught as an 8 year old.  I know now that to Love my neighbour as myself is not a command to love myself. To love myself is natural because scriptures assumes I already love myself. As a mature Christian, I realise how important it is to focus less on myself but more on the needs of others. Is this easy to do? Not at all! Do I fall short of this? Yes regularly! But at least I know what I am suppose to do. So what about loving oneself. Isnt that something that a movement that I belong to called Raising Confident Girls encourages ? Yes it is. Our girls are wonderfully and fearfully made but true confidence comes when we are serving others, not consumed by selflove.

I am not saying loving oneself isn’t important. It just shouldnt be an obsession. (Philippians 2: 3- 4)

What’s love got to do with it? When we focus on loving others as we love ourselves in the way Christ taught us, then we are more likely to shine HIS light and win souls to Christ because that is the goal right? Food for thought!

What is your view about the Bible context of loving yourself? Have you been on a similar journey to me? Please leave a message in the comment box and thanks for stopping by.

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DONT LOVE ME AS YOU LOVE YOURSELF

About author

RiRi is a dedicated Events & Marketing Experts who is passionate about serving clients at Majestically Rare to the highest standards. Only the best will do. She is also the founder of Raising Confident Girls Initiative with a clear vision: A world where every girl is confident.