Disciples show love to themselves without becoming unhealthy lovers of self

Are we supposed to love ourselves? You won’t find a bible quote for it. The bible denounces self-love (2 Tim 3:2) and self-importance (Philippians 2:3). But God does advocate a sense of worth ("you are worth more than many sparrows" – Matthew 10:31).

Let’s dig into loving ourselves without becoming unhealthy, ungodly lovers of self that Paul describes to his protégé Timothy.

Biblical Overview
2 Timothy

2 Timothy is Paul’s last letter. It was written to encourage Timothy, challenging him to fully accept his calling despite the suffering and hardship that come with this life. The letter also reminds Timothy to maintain faith and hope in Jesus’ resurrection and raise faithful leaders who will teach the good news about Jesus.

https://bibleproject.com/videos/2-timothy/

Your Biblical Identity in Christ

2 Timothy 3:1-5

1 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.

Galatians 5:13-26

Life by the Spirit

13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

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.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

It is good to love ourselves – but not above others; it is good to love ourselves, but not in a manner of putting sinful desires (ours or others) above God’s holy desires – or even putting sinful desires into play at all. Any unholy desire runs counter to the will of God and therefore conflicts with God’s ways of love. Since I am a lover of God, I want to love myself in ways that honor God and to stand against self-defined or world-defined ways of supposed “love” that conflict with God’s will for me or others.

Our identity in Christ for the week reflects this godly desire:

In Christ, I am loved by God My Father and will express love to myself and others in ways that honor Him.

Prayer for the Day