I have a real yuck feeling when I hear people saying, “This is my self-care” or “This is my self-love”.
All the trend of self is unsettling to me because you see people now using it as a reason to not serve their families. They have taken a simple concept and used it to feed the giant chasm of selfishness in our culture.
Many parts of scripture fly in the face of this trend…
My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friend. John 15:12-13
But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God- having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people. 2 Timothy 3:1-5
Then I consider these scriptures…
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:30-31
To acquire wisdom is to love yourself; people who cherish understanding will prosper. Proverbs 19:8
I truly believe we have very little idea what true love really looks like. When’s the last time you heard someone say, “I am seeking out wisdom as my self-care.” You won’t be hearing anyone say that.
But reading that scripture brought a lot of things into perspective for me. I’ve noticed that the more I grow in wisdom, the more I feel loving toward others. It’s an interesting thing. My capacity to see others seems to increase with wisdom. Wisdom seems to be a foundation for many good things.
Today I challenge you to love yourself by seeking wisdom from God. He tells us that if we ask for wisdom, He will grant it. The only caveat is that we must not doubt. Ask without doubt and you will receive.
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, Who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do. James 1:5-8
Today I ask, You, God to remove all disbelief from my heart and mind. I ask You to lead me into greater faith. Come and expand capacity for belief. Bless my life with great wisdom. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
365 Days in the Presence 