It’s a wonderful day to be a child of God. O LORD, our Lord, how excellent is Thy name in all the earth! who hast set Thy glory above the heavens. (Psalms 8:1) Have you ever awaken to a new day but your mind was still pondering the day before? There were mistakes you made and decisions you forgot to finalize. There were calls you failed to return and commitments you did not fulfill. Have you ever spent your weekend worrying about work and assignments you must complete the following week? On Friday you are worrying about Monday. You spend Saturday and Sunday beating yourself up because there were things you wanted to achieve the week before. Do you spend your days stressed out? Do you spend your days trying to gain the acceptance of your co-workers? Are you trying to buy friends? Are you happy with who you are? Do you love you? Hmmmmmm
This morning, I have been commissioned to come and minister to you. My friend, You Must First Love Yourself! Many times in life we attempt to find love in the arms of someone else. We find ourselves looking for love in all the wrong places. When you look at yourself in the mirror, do you love what you see? Are you ashamed of your appearance? Are you wearing a mask to hide the person God made you to be? You do realize you cannot run from yourself? You see you more than we see you. The Bible declares in Mark 12:31 – And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. The Word of God requires for us to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. The question is, do you love yourself? If you do not love who you are, how can you truly love someone else? You Must First Love Yourself! When you start loving yourself, you grow to a point where the approval of others no longer matters to you. You begin to love others because you love yourself.
My brother, my sister, do you know that God loves you? Are you living with the assurance that God loves you? The Bible declares in John 3:16 – For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Beloved, You Must First Love Yourself! What sin have you committed that prevents you from loving yourself again? What past hurt hinders you from moving forward in the love of the Lord? Who have you failed when it was time to show them love? The Bible declares in Luke 10:27 – And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. You Must First Love Yourself! Prayer for Today: Father, today I thank you that I have learned how to love myself. I am able to love me because you first loved me. Now learn, teach me how to love others. In Jesus’ name … Amen!
Scripture Reading for Today: John 15:13
May God Bless you at Your point of need!
Pastor Darrick D. McGhee, Sr.