BE KIND TO YOURSELF

Be kind to yourself.

Such a simple statement, but also so hard to fulfill, isn’t it?

In this world of people that criticize each other at the drop of a hat, no one slings more criticism your way than the one staring back at you in the mirror. No one. You can be critical of your looks, how much you weigh, how you talk, how you think, what you’ve accomplished in your life, and how you look to the world. There’s so many ways you can view yourself negatively. It’s easy to do after a while, is it not? I know it is for me.

We’re all so hard on ourselves, and if we’re not careful, we can let that discontentment and negativity fester into a bubble of anger and emotion inside of us…just waiting to pop. We can truly become our own worst enemy.

So what’s to be done when all you can do is hate on yourself and become the most passionate foe in your life? What do you do when the enemy is you?

I think you…me…all of us, should listen to Jesus when He talks about how to deal with our enemies.

“You have been taught to love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you this: love your enemies. Pray for those who torment you and persecute you – in doing so, you become children of your Father in Heaven. He, after all, loves each of us – good and evil, kind and cruel. He causes the sun to rise and shine on evil and good alike. He causes the rain to water the fields of the righteous and the fields of the sinner.”

Matthew 5:43-45 (Voice)

If God calls us to love our enemies because He loves them, then it stands to reason that when you are your own worst enemy, that you find a way to love yourself as well…because He loves you. He really does. Brothers and sisters, if the tormentor and persecutor in your life is you, then pray that God shows you how to find the beauty and blessing that you are within yourself; the very things that God has seen in you all along and always will.

Never forget, that Jesus thinks so much of you that He died and rose from death, so that you always have a place with Him beyond the edges of this life and into eternity.

He causes the sun to rise every day because of His love for you. He causes the rain to fall and replenish the earth because of His love for you.

Be kind to yourself…you’re worth it.