I've finally figured out why the Bible said you have to love yourself before you can love others. Remember Kitty and Viv? How we pondered as to why it was so. I mean, why do you need to have self love to love others? Can't you just love your friends without loving yourself? Aren't they separate?
"'I was seduced," Skip said, "And Jeannie was seduced. We seduced each other because we thought we could give one another what we both so badly wanted. It came out of place of need, of lacking. Not from a place of abundance or, more importantly real love."'
And my brain just made the connection. Just for a fleeting moment I actually understood-something. How can you love someone when it does not come within yourself? We love because we were designed to love and care for others because we need to be loved as well. It's a mutual thing. If two people wanted love and kinship, they'd want the love because they need it. However they both lack in 'self love' (NB. not to be confused with narcissism).. How can you give love when you have none? Loving yourself is the source of your love towards others. I don't know how to explain it.. I can just offer you that quote which basically sums up what I've wanted to say.
* * *
Bible Gateway.com is the best site ever! Lol. They have the Bible in so many languages and translations.. I love finding out the passages in the Message and the NIV.. cuz seriously, there's not a single perfect version of the Bible for one person... I just learnt that there's a version called Contemporary English. Lol. CEV. I am slow. Yeah.. I love 1 Corinthians 13: The Love chapter. Yeah I know it's cliched. It's printed on kitchen recipe pads and little trinkets and cheap plaster sculptures. But I like to use this as a check list... This is how I weigh how 'pure' my love is towards friends, family etc. This is how I do it.. since Paul (the author) just lists what perfect love should be like.. this is my check list and accountability check up. Am I patient with my brother? Am I kind towards my peers? I hope you do the same. Here's the chapter.. it's quite short (relatively)...I had it memorized for a short time.. Lol... It's a good one. This is the NIV version that everyone is familiar with:
1 Corinthians 13
Love
1If I speak in the tongues[1] of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames,[2] but have not love, I gain nothing.
4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
I love that chapter. It's very good. Wanna know if your love is true? Just tick off everything from this chapter. :) I love it!
Haha.. and I just came across another verse I've been looking for.. an encouragement to the youth of today:
1 Timothy 4
Command and teach these things. 12Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. 13Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching.
Hm.. maybe one day I should compile all my favourite verses and stick them into categories: love, encouragement, when you are sad, when you are lonely, when you feel everything is going downhill.. HEY!! Actually I have this book that has that.. Wow I should do that. I got it at Acquire the Fire (ATF). It was good.. I think this October we should go to ATF! It was amazing.. Imagine the whole Copps Coliseum in Hamilton doing the wave. It was hilarious. Lol. And worshiping together. Sigh. Yeah so in October someone can drive us there.. Viv get your licence! LOL.. make sure we don't get spotted by police or we'll get pulled over (we're not underage! It's just the height! :o I'm kidding! LOL).
Now I'm just talking gibberish so Sam will stop cuz she's quite high on her understanding of life. Life is beautiful. Amen. (okay minus the summer school;))
"'I was seduced," Skip said, "And Jeannie was seduced. We seduced each other because we thought we could give one another what we both so badly wanted. It came out of place of need, of lacking. Not from a place of abundance or, more importantly real love."'
And my brain just made the connection. Just for a fleeting moment I actually understood-something. How can you love someone when it does not come within yourself? We love because we were designed to love and care for others because we need to be loved as well. It's a mutual thing. If two people wanted love and kinship, they'd want the love because they need it. However they both lack in 'self love' (NB. not to be confused with narcissism).. How can you give love when you have none? Loving yourself is the source of your love towards others. I don't know how to explain it.. I can just offer you that quote which basically sums up what I've wanted to say.
* * *
Bible Gateway.com is the best site ever! Lol. They have the Bible in so many languages and translations.. I love finding out the passages in the Message and the NIV.. cuz seriously, there's not a single perfect version of the Bible for one person... I just learnt that there's a version called Contemporary English. Lol. CEV. I am slow. Yeah.. I love 1 Corinthians 13: The Love chapter. Yeah I know it's cliched. It's printed on kitchen recipe pads and little trinkets and cheap plaster sculptures. But I like to use this as a check list... This is how I weigh how 'pure' my love is towards friends, family etc. This is how I do it.. since Paul (the author) just lists what perfect love should be like.. this is my check list and accountability check up. Am I patient with my brother? Am I kind towards my peers? I hope you do the same. Here's the chapter.. it's quite short (relatively)...I had it memorized for a short time.. Lol... It's a good one. This is the NIV version that everyone is familiar with:
1 Corinthians 13
Love
1If I speak in the tongues[1] of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames,[2] but have not love, I gain nothing.
4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
I love that chapter. It's very good. Wanna know if your love is true? Just tick off everything from this chapter. :) I love it!
Haha.. and I just came across another verse I've been looking for.. an encouragement to the youth of today:
1 Timothy 4
Command and teach these things. 12Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. 13Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching.
Hm.. maybe one day I should compile all my favourite verses and stick them into categories: love, encouragement, when you are sad, when you are lonely, when you feel everything is going downhill.. HEY!! Actually I have this book that has that.. Wow I should do that. I got it at Acquire the Fire (ATF). It was good.. I think this October we should go to ATF! It was amazing.. Imagine the whole Copps Coliseum in Hamilton doing the wave. It was hilarious. Lol. And worshiping together. Sigh. Yeah so in October someone can drive us there.. Viv get your licence! LOL.. make sure we don't get spotted by police or we'll get pulled over (we're not underage! It's just the height! :o I'm kidding! LOL).
Now I'm just talking gibberish so Sam will stop cuz she's quite high on her understanding of life. Life is beautiful. Amen. (okay minus the summer school;))
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home