What is Unconditional Self-Love?
Unconditional self-love may be a term you aren’t familiar with YET. However, if you have ever been in touch with Christian teaching, I am pretty sure you’ve heard about the unconditional love that God has for us. In essence, it describes how God loves humanity without ANY conditions. And when I say ANY, I mean ANY - or NONE for that matter. 😉
Even so, many have been misled to believe - or somehow act like - God only loves those unconditionally who have chosen to follow Christ. Paradoxically, as soon as we become believers, we attempt to please God in the weirdest and most religious ways one can think of! If that’s not enough, we even try to make others do the same. We constantly send the message: ONLY if you believe this theology and act that certain way, you are worthy of God’s love. Oh dear.
This is NOT what I read in my Bible! The Bible says in Romans 5 that God showed His own love for us when Christ died for us. Now, when exactly did Jesus die for us? When we were still sinners.
Magdalena, are you saying that God loved us the SAME with or without a personal commitment to Christ? With or without me loving Him back? 😮 Oh yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying! ❤️
This is what I consider unconditional love. Unconditional love doesn’t depend on my YES to the Love and Life Giver. His Love is there even when I’m not ready for Him. I am surrounded by It. We all are. Surrounded by unconditional Love, this never-ending source is always available. Of course, it is my choice if I want to step into, know and experience this type of Love. But whether I choose to immerse myself in this Love or not, it will not change the Love itself! It stays the same. He stays the same… Strong and passionate about me.
This is the type of love that drew me close to God. I wanted to know this perfect Being who loved me with such a devoted and committed heart! He loved me with no strings attached.
Still, it took me a loooooooong time to understand that I REALLY didn’t need to change ANYTHING about me to make Him LOVE me more. It took me over a decade to truly realize that I REALLY couldn’t do ANYTHING to make Him LOVE me less. This is unconditional Love!!!!!!! It is finished. No more works on my side are needed to change His heart towards me.
Now, how about us? What is this so-called unconditional self-love that I advocate so proudly? For me personally, it means GOD’s unconditional love for US, extending into how we love ourselves. That WE, as individuals, can have unconditional love for ourselves. I hope you are listening well now. 😉 Today, I am NOT talking about God’s love enabling us to love “our neighbor” - meaning OTHERS - in an unconditional way, I am talking about a pure and perfect SELF-LOVE!
This teaching on unconditional self-love has been missing in the church for years, decades, maybe even centuries. I don’t know exactly - haven’t been around that long. 🤪 What I know is that I haven’t heard a single sermon, by any denomination, dedicated merely to the topic of a healthy SELF-LOVE in my 36 years of church attendance. Well, actually, I’ve heard hundreds of sermons on unconditional self-love in the last two years, but it’s been my own preaching, teaching and coaching! 😍💃🏻
Unconditional self-love means that I love myself NO MATTER WHAT. Just as God loves me, NO MATTER WHAT. I say YES to myself when I have great success and life is full of sunshine. I also have an UNDENIABLE YES for myself when I feel like I have failed. I have a YES for myself when I haven’t met my own expectations or the expectations of others. YES. YES. YES!
I know one thing for sure: Saying YES to ourselves is THE foundation for any healthy relationship - be it with ourselves, with others, or with God. I’m never gonna give it up again! 😄😍💃🏻
How about you? Where are you on your journey to unconditional self-love? Have you started to fully embrace yourself or do you still think self-love is a selfish trait? If so, continue to read my next blog post. 🥰