“Out of the mouth of babes…You have ordained strength…”
(Psalms 8:2 NKJV)
Our kitchen table isn’t just a place for eating, a desk for writing or a space for playing, but a work of art for the heart.
Years ago, I started engraving into it’s already rugged surface, my favorite scriptures and sweet messages all about God’s love for me. And it wasn’t long before my three boys joined in taking any sharp object they could find (or that I would allow and wouldn’t turn into the next weapon of war-play) to scribble in truth that they are Abba’s beloved too.
But last month while working on a few Father’s Day crafts that required paint pens, my oldest son thought it necessary to add paint graffiti to our table.
And what he wrote was profound: “I love me.”
All I could do was smile. I mean, when was the last time you spoke or wrote those words to yourself? Do you talk to yourself like you would someone you love? More often than not, are we critical of and hard on ourselves because we feel like we are being critiqued instead of esteemed.
Loving myself as I am has actually been a life song I thrive on since the Lord began to sing it into my heart several years ago. Holy Spirit began showing me how life abundant manifests in all areas when we receive His love above all else, then choose to love ourselves well with that love.
For me, this place of healthy self-love, became a fountain of overflow pouring out of my heart, supernaturally and effortlessly touching lives. The more I received the Lord’s love for me and in turn loved myself, the more people around me were encountering the tangible love of God, including my children.
But let me remind you it’s a process. A process that your Papa God celebrates, not tolerates. Like a toddler learning to walk, taking a couple of steps and falling down, your Heavenly Daddy tenderly lifts you up after each fall, claps His hands in pure joy and urges you on in tenderness to come a little closer.
With each step of encouragement, your relationship grows as He reveals to you more of His heart, Truth, nature and unending love for you. But will you choose to love yourself through the process of owning your own story even when it seems messy and you feel as though you’ve failed?
Jesus loves to remind you to do just that. When He said, “love your neighbor as yourself,”(italics mine) in essence He’s saying, “You will only love another as well as you love yourself. And you cannot love yourself well until you receive My unconditional, radical, passionate, ‘I love you just-the-way-you-are’ love!”
Again, when Jesus said “Whatever you did for one of the least of these…you did for Me,” It’s as if He’s whispering into our hearts, “Be good to you. Forgive you. Love you.”
When the truth of your forgiveness and worth moves from your head to your heart, you will begin to see yourself the way He sees you; a royal, chosen, spotless child of the Most High God. You are the only one of you there is and you are needed.
Your identity is found in Him while He delights in living inside your very heart; the holy ground on which He loves to heal you and free you from shame, guilt and painful wounds. You are made in His image which means whether you feel it or not, you are glorious! God looks at you and says you are very, very good!
So beloved, don’t be afraid to let all else go to be still and let yourself be loved by your Father today. Be gentle with yourself when you miss it. Give yourself grace! Guard that sacred heart of yours above all else because out of it flows the springs of life. And what’s going on in the heart will ultimately be what comes out of your mouth. (See Proverbs 4:23, Matthew 15:18). You may not realize it, but when you are loving yourself, you are loving Him!
Then, like a little child, take that baby step of faith by placing your hand over your heart and speak to yourself “I love me.” Surely you’ll begin to hear a new life song arise. After all, our table may show as a divine objet d’art. But YOU, beautiful one, are His marvelous masterpiece!
Resting In His Love,
Annalee Reyes