Just a Moment…

“You can’t really love anyone until you love yourself.” Have you heard that?  Only problem – it’s unbiblical.

The world is filled with the notion of self-love and self-esteem. The church has unfortunately bought into this jargon. Many Christian psychologists wrongly teach one must love him/herself before they can love others. Such teaching is based on the misunderstanding of the verses that say we’re to love our neighbor as ourselves. We all know how to love ourselves quite well. Even those who go around dumping on themselves are guilty of such. That individual is self-focused. The Apostle Paul said one of the signs of the last days is people loving self, 2 Tim 3:2. 

The Bible teaches us to love God supremely – that’s the first commandment, Mk 12:28-34. The second is to love our neighbor as we do ourselves. When I accidently hit my thumb with a hammer hanging a picture on the wall, I don’t grab a saw and amputate my thumb. No, I grab my thumb and it usually goes into my mouth. Why? I don’t know – it just seems to sooth the ache. As believers, we are to live sacrificially for others. A love for God and a love for others is the essence of pleasing him. Alistair Begg has said, “Contrary to public opinion, the key to loving others does not lie in loving ourselves but in loving God.” 

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others, Phil 2:3-4.