How an Act of Gratitude Can Help You Love Yourself the Way God Intended
It seems that anything having to do with self today is assumed to be a negative and self-seeking intention. But that is not what God intended. While God spoke other things into creation, he took extra care in forming humanity with the work of his hands, in his very image. There are times when our acts of service towards others have taken center stage in our lives, and we miss sight of something very important that we are supposed to do before we serve, which is to love ourselves in the process.
The commandment to love yourself
I believed that I was living out God’s second greatest commandment as stated by Jesus himself when he replied to a religious leader by saying, “’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’” (Matthew 22:37-39, emphasis added).
Burnout recovery left me on the sidelines for over five years. I had gone nonstop in serving others for over ten years before I finally listened to the slowdown that my body tried telling me I needed for quite some time. The aftermath of burnout left me wondering how serving others could leave me feeling so depleted.
In this fast-paced world that seemed to center so much on self, I dove into serving others most times the church building was open. As I helped plan women’s events, volunteered at fundraisers, became a leader in the children’s church, and said yes to just about everything I was asked to do, I kept going until I couldn’t keep moving forward anymore.
I was doing good things, but my body was manifesting an emptiness from a well that was running dry. God had not called me to serve in all capacities. He had called me to an intimate relationship that I was missing out on as I neglected my personal walk with him in the name of service.
The words of Jesus echoed in my mind as I contemplated them. What did it even mean to love myself? I wrestled with the reality of trauma and longsuffering from my past. It had run in the background of my mind, even when things seemed to be okay. Negative thoughts and self-doubt creeped in so many times. They would lead to negative self-talk and being dismissive of any positive things that someone else would have to say to me or about me.
I mistakenly thought it was humility. I thought it was prideful to accept a compliment, that I was unworthy of the recognition of others, that I was called to live in the shadow of good things, without reflecting that good towards myself. It stemmed from a brokenness inside of me that I buried instead of acknowledged when I became a believer. The truth became clear: I needed to work on what it meant to love myself.
Have you struggled with being able to love yourself while trying to walk in the fullness of God? The very word that gave me insight to begin with was the place that held the answers. A simple act of gratitude for the way that God has spoken to us about our value is an important place to start. God’s word speaks about his love for us clearly, but it is up to us to accept it.
Affirmations from God’s Word
- I am Made in God’s Image (Gen. 5:1 – 2)
- I am Fearfully and Wonderfully Made(Psalm 139:14)
- I am a Child of God (John 1:12)
- I am Transformed (Rom. 12:2)
- My Story Will be Used for Good (Rom. 8:28)
When the negative thoughts and self-doubt creeps in, acknowledge the moment and offer our creator a prayer of gratitude for who he has called you to be through his word. Here is a prayer of gratitude for who you are created to be:
Dear Lord,
Despite the challenges and pain, I have encountered throughout this life journey, I embrace the love that you have for me. I am thankful for the name you have given me. I am thankful for the way you created me. I acknowledge that the gifts within me have been uniquely woven into my being by your design. I will use my gifts to worship you. I will use edifying words to acknowledge who you have created me to be.
As your daughter, I will embrace who you are still forming me into, despite the challenges I come against. I will be thankful for victory you give me, in your name. I thank you for being a cry, a shout, a whisper, and even a thought away, ready to be at my side and remind me that I am never alone. Fill me with your love so I can serve others from an overflow and not be depleted. Thank you for calling me to love others the way that I am called to love myself.
Amen
Meet Aida Maravillas
Aida Maravillas is a speaker, writer, and life coach who uses her professional mental health background, faith, and life experience to help overwhelmed moms balance the demands of motherhood with their own self-care.
Her Self-Care Planner is a free downloadable resource developed to help mothers recognize how to implement a practical self-care routine that is attainable. This free resource is available at https://aidamaravillas.com/.
Aida lives in the Midwest and has been married for 25 years. She and her husband have three daughters who range from their young adult to the tween years. They also have a grandson in his toddler years.
Where to find her . . .
Begin Within is a series to inspire a year-round lifestyle of gratitude that will impact not only your own life, but the lives of your neighbors as well. Gratitude is a theme we talk about often around here because it ties so closely into other missional living rhythms. Practicing gratitude reminds to keep our hearts soft and expectant and our eyes open. Therefore, the more we embrace gratitude, the easier it becomes to truly see our neighbors and where we can join what God is already doing in our neighborhoods.
If you would like to contribute to Begin Within, you can find the submission guidelines here.
Creating Ripples
If you would like to cultivate rhythms in addition to gratitude that will empower you live on mission in your neighborhood, check out Cultivating a Missional Life: A 30-Day Devotional to Gently Help You Open Your Heart, Home, and Life to Your Neighbors. This small book will help you make a big impact in your neighborhood as you learn to let missional living flow from the inside out. Get the 30-day missional living challenge free when you purchase the book.
