Love is a powerful word and can be used in many different contexts. One of the most important meanings for love that we often forget about, is loving ourselves. Love for oneself can be hard to come by when society pressures us with beauty standards and other ideals. In this blog post, we will discuss how you can demonstrate loving yourself for who God made you or what he has given you and not what society pressures us all into being with regards to beauty standards and such.
Loving yourself can be an important defense against the images that society is constantly shoving in our faces. Loving yourself means loving every part of you: your personality, talents, and appearance. If we don’t love ourselves for who God made us or what he has given us as individuals then how do we expect to have anyone else see anything good about us? Here are some suggestions:
The first step is realizing that loving oneself doesn’t mean looking at oneself through others' eyes but rather appreciating all the parts of one's self because they are worth it. Secondly, think more positively about your own image by focusing on what you like best about yourself instead of pointing out flaws- whether real or imagined-. Thirdly, working towards perfectionism will not only lead to an unhealthy body image but also a much higher likelihood of being more susceptible to depression. So instead, try working towards self-acceptance and loving yourself just the way you are!
There is no need for us to be unhappy or ungrateful because we don't meet society's standards at every point in our lives when too many people out there would love nothing better than having what they have been given by God. Our bodies are gifts from him and should not only be loved but never taken advantage of either through negative thoughts or actions that will harm them. Instead, cherish your body as it is today: imperfect yet beautiful just like everyone else's.
But loving your body is only one part of the equation. Yes, God made our bodies, but we can't be neglectful of our souls. Our souls are a gift from God, too. We have to love them and take care of them just as much as we do our bodies!
In loving ourselves for who God made us and not what society pressures us all into being, you will discover that your health improves in ways unimaginable before. So instead of suffering through depression or other ailments because you don't measure up or feel like it's time to give up on yourself completely, try working towards self-acceptance and God's acceptance that you are exactly the person that God created you to be, you are wonderfully made!
