Hate Yourself or Love Yourself?

Should you hate yourself or love yourself? Author Leanne Payne has said, "If we are busy hating the soul that God loves and is in the process of straightening out, we cannot help others. Our minds will be riveted on ourselves—not on Christ who is our wholeness.”

When Jesus said to hate your own life (Luke 14:26), He meant for us to hate selfishness. He did not mean to hate yourself as a person that God created. Jesus said to love your neighbor as yourself (Matt. 22:39) because you can’t honestly tell someone God loves them if you don’t believe it about yourself.

A prison chaplain told me, “Do you know why prisoners commit crimes? It’s because they hate themselves. And if they hate themselves, how can they love others? If they don’t have respect for themselves, why would they respect anyone else and their property? That’s why it doesn’t bother them to steal or kill. They don’t love others because they don’t love themselves.”

This chaplain knows how prisoners think because he too was once incarcerated. He killed someone when he was younger and was sent to prison. During his time in jail a chaplain told him about God’s love and led him to the Lord. After serving his sentence and released, he went back into prison as a chaplain. He now teaches prisoners they need to receive God’s love and accept themselves as His creation. Only then can they respect others.

God demonstrated His love for you by dying for you (Rom 5:8). “The love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit (5:5). When you allow God’s love to enter your heart, you will love yourself as He loves you—and then you can extend that love to your neighbor. Have you learned to love yourself? It’s not selfish. It’s what God wants. www.makinglifecount.net

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Making Life Count Ministries

P.O. Box 680174

Prattville, Alabama 36068-0174

www.makinglifecount.net  Twitter: @KentCrockett

www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com

Every Decision is a Trade

When you make a decision it’s like making a trade—you give up something to get something else. You go to a furniture store, hand cash to the salesperson and walk out with a chair. You’ve traded your money for furniture. When you exchange wedding vows, you’ve decided to give up single life for married life. A wise decision is when you “trade up” and gain something better than what you had before.

To make a wise decision you must

1. Correctly determine the value of what you have and what you want. If you misjudge the value of either one, you’ll make a foolish decision.

2. Consider the long-term outcome. Instant gratification is short-lived while delayed gratification means waiting to get something much better.

Jesus told a rich young ruler if he would sell his possessions and give to the poor, he would gain “treasure in heaven” that would last forever (Mark 10:21). He was offering him something of much greater value. But the man didn’t believe what Jesus told him and walked away disappointed. Why? He misjudged the value of both what he had and what he would receive. He owned much property and didn’t want to give it up. He thought this short-term life was more important than the long-term next life. That was 2,000 years ago. Do you think he regrets his decision?

Esau traded his birthright (his inheritance) for a bowl of soup because misjudged the value of both his birthright and the bowl of soup (Gen. 25:32). He thought his inheritance was worth nothing and the soup extremely valuable. He was hungry (instant gratification) and said, “What use is the birthright to me?” Later he realized his foolish mistake and cried because he couldn’t get it back (Heb. 12:17).

The next time you need to make a decision think about the value of what you’re trading. Ask yourself, “Will I better off many years from now?” www.makinglifecount.net

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Receive these devotionals (free) by email: You can subscribe in the box on the right at www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com (Your email will not be given out. You’ll receive an email when the new devotional is posted)

Making Life Count Ministries

P.O. Box 680174

Prattville, Alabama 36068-0174

www.makinglifecount.net  Twitter: @KentCrockett

www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com