You’ve probably heard these wise words. You cannot love anyone more than you love yourself. The way in which you love yourself is the same way you extend your love to others. It is impossible to love others if you are incapable of loving yourself. Love starts with self. Affection and attraction for a romantic lover. Loyalty for a best friend or even care for family members is not love. Love is the actions that are used to express those found feelings. What was the last act of love you extended to yourself?

Agape love, the self sacrificing unconditional type love. Unless you can extend this to yourself you will never be able to give it to anyone else. When the feelings of affection run dry or the circumstances become unfavorable. You can’t escape self no matter what the circumstances this will be the longest running relationship of your life. Which makes it the perfect training ground for learning to love. When you think of loving what words come to mind? I challenge you to think about how you can intentionally extend one of these pillars of love to yourself.

FORGIVENIESS

How do you handle moments when you disappoint yourself? Is it met with feelings of anger or

KINDNESS

Kindness toward yourself goes far beyond ordering your favorite Starbucks coffee or treating yourself to a face mask. Kindness is that inner running mental chatter. The things you say to yourself would you say them to a beloved friend. God is all knowing at in Him I am fully known and fully loved. Can we extend that same loving kindness to ourselves.

GRACE

Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

PATIENCE

This to me, is arguably one of the most difficult. Especially in our fast paced, computerized, short attention span, Amazon next day delivery world. Having patience for myself. Remembering that I’m new to this. Living that is. I don’t know about you but I’ve never done it before. I’ve done pretty well thus far but whenever I fall short of meeting my own expectations for myself, its hard for me to be patient and extend myself kindness. Even when faced with a new task I can become inpatient with the waiting period. The time between who I am and the manifestation of who I desire to be. I think learning to enjoy the journey is one key way to have more patience for ourselves.