If we are honest with ourselves, I think that many of us can agree we are not always the easiest to love, right? There are probably times when you find it difficult to even love yourself.

In Matthew 5, Jesus is speaking to those gathered around Him about love. Specifically He is instructing them (and us) to love our enemy. “If you love those who love you, what reward will you get?” (Matthew 5:46) Being kind to or caring for those who are kind to you is pretty easy but when someone has hurt you or been rude to you it becomes more difficult to be kind, much less love them back.

Sometimes the person that we struggle to love back is the one facing us when we look in the mirror. You have probably heard someone talk about how they are harder on themselves than anyone else ever could be. This is likely true for most of us. However, what if we are not meant to be so hard and tough on ourselves.

I’m not saying that we are to be so infatuated with ourselves that we become full of pride and self-righteousness but what if we were to see ourselves the way that God sees us? What if we can look at ourselves with the love that God looks at us with? How much better would our outlook and attitude be? How much more could we then love others with the love that God has for us?

You my friend, are loved by the Creator of the universe. God loves you. “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!” (1 John 3:1) God’s love for us is so much greater than we could fully ever comprehend. He loves us so much that He gave of Himself so that we could be with Him. “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.” (1 John 3:16)

No matter what anyone else says about you, no matter what you say about yourself, you are loved. In moments when you struggle to love yourself, may you be reminded that God loved you first and that He will never stop.