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I want to talk about love today, not just romance but in general.
I was laughing the other night reading some verses from the holy book saying "Don't cheat on yourself" and the author listed the things we do against ourselves that we thought we are doing to others, but the body is not just us but neighbors too, so we do to us what we do outside, we hope that what we do outside has a pure intention to inspire, empower and give life to others because again we do to us what we do outside.
Cheating our bodies is not loving ourselves. It's against the second commandment & we thank God for redeeming us from disobeying it being a carnal. How do we cheat on our own bodies? Here's some from
Galatians 5:19-21
19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God
God is love & He loves His body, love doesn't rejoice in evil...
There are many acts that is against loving ourselves and I'll include it here next time once I found it.
Mmm. So it's not loving ourselves if we do "immoralities", it's not loving ourselves if we do impurities, debauch, worship idols above God, do witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage (outburst of wrath), selfish ambition (guess this is self-indulgence, self focus without God & others like first our family then community ), dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and the like.
Even if we do those things to others, we do it to ourselves? Some we do to ourselves like drunkenness (you can taste but not getting drunk) & worshipping idols but it's not loving ourselves, our bodies. Christ said you cannot inherit the kingdom of life being this.
(When we "love ourselves" from our own nature, we only see our shame, guilts, sin, death & errors. It's hard to bounceback & change. But in His heart is different, the heart of the Father inspite of not rejoicing in evil is merciful, graceful, abounds in love & justice to transfer us from those shame, wicked & guiltful living to fuller life. In Him we can be and do better things.)
Aaa, this is why, self-examination is what we need to do & to check if we love and see ourselves the way God does. He calls you beloved. Doing so we can love others that way too.
So He gave us the first commandment in order for us to know how we can love ourselves the way He does that can be extended to other.
Love is you from His point of view