My youngest daughter, Averee, used to hum all the time when she was in elementary school. In fact, she got in trouble when she was in the 3rd grade because she was humming during a test when all was to be quiet. 

 

Her teacher giggled as she told us at parent/teacher conferences that she hated having to scold her. After all, it is Averee’s joy that got her in trouble. 

 

She’s always had this joy about her and I’ve questioned where it comes from. 

 

After thinking about it, I’ve realized that her joy stems from loving herself, and it’s as if she doesn’t even know any better. She loves herself in the most innocent way. It’s one of my most favorite things about her. 

 

I think we could all learn something from my Averee.

 

Matthew 22:39 tells us to “love our neighbor as yourself.”

 

This kind of “loving yourself” I’m referring to has nothing to do with drinking lots of water, doing yoga, getting plenty of rest, or getting a manicure every once in a while although all those things are honestly ah-mazing.

 

No, this has everything to do with loving yourself inwardly. It’s loving the person that God intricately and elaborately designed. The person that He fearfully and wonderfully created.

 

But if you’re anything like me, the well-known quote, “We can’t fully love others until we fully love ourselves,” has caused some inner tension. Why? Because the truth is that I love my family with every fiber of my being, yet I struggle at times to fully love myself. 

 

So, is it possible that I could actually love my family more if I were to fully love myself? I can’t see how I could love them any more than I do, but what if I could?

 

Could I actually love my children better? Could I love my spouse better? Could I be a better wife because I genuinely loved myself? 

 

It seems as soon as I allow myself to dream of the possibility, doubt moves in.

 

Thoughts enter about the time in my marriage when I didn’t think we’d survive. The times I hated myself pretty horribly and the times I still fight to love myself. The moments when thoughts of past failures come creeping in and I fight to get rid of them. 

 

But my girl Averee enters the scene again and inspires me to fight harder to love myself.

 

How can we do this? How can we live truly loving ourselves?

 

We can do this by proclaiming what we know to be true. We can speak these words to our own hearts until we begin believing them.

 

I am worthy of my own love because of the blood of Jesus Christ,

It doesn’t matter what I’ve done in the past.

I am engraved on the palm of his hand. God has a plan and a purpose for me.

He knows exactly how many hairs I have on my head.

He knew me before I was born! 

 

Isn’t it cool that the same God who made the mountains, oceans and galaxies looked at YOU and thought the world needs one of YOU, too?!

Loving ourselves means that we are content and joyfully grounded in the love of God and the steady focus on His image. It means that we are so focused on His love that we naturally love ourselves and we don’t know any better. It’s just a given. It’s natural. We can get there as we consistently remind ourselves of these truths.

 

Self-love means that I have complete acceptance, forgiveness and respect for who God created me to be including all of the beautiful parts as well as all of the hideous parts.

 

And this causes me to love my husband better, because I love myself.

 

As difficult as it can be to love myself at times, I remember just how much Jesus Christ loves me. None of us are worthy of Christ’s love, yet He died on the cross for us and loves us so much. 

 

Love is a choice. A choice is made in a matter of seconds. So, what if we actually just chose to love ourselves?

 

Why not choose today to genuinely love yourself, despite all your failures and flaws?

 

Wife Step: Write out the truths above and post it somewhere you’ll see it often. Read out loud as often as necessary.

Shannon Geurin is a wife, mother, writer and speaker; but most of all she’s a fighter. She has learned what it takes to fight for her marriage and family. She is deeply passionate about empowering women to rise up through their circumstances and fight in order to find their greatest calling.  Shannon loves serving an actively engaged “Fiercely His” community via her website www.shannongeurin.com. Her authentic, genuine style and courage to speak the truth is a breath of fresh air to her readers and is one of her greatest qualities. An Oklahoma girl at heart with the accent and “y’alls” to prove it, she currently resides in the beautiful mountains of Colorado.  She graduated with a nursing degree from the University of Oklahoma, but spends her time sipping coffee, writing and doing what she loves most, taking care of her crazy family. Shannon has been married for more than 25 years to her husband John,  and is Mom to two spirited daughters, Alex and Averee. 

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