Love: A Heartfelt Exploration

Do you love yourself? This question is crucial because those who don't love themselves can't genuinely claim to love others. So, what do you do to love yourself? How do you show self-love?

I often receive responses like: "We show self-love through personal hygiene, dressing well, eating healthy, working hard, studying well, traveling, having fun, and enjoying life." Of course, we all do these things! But is this really loving ourselves? If our love is limited to these actions, then I'm convinced we're not truly loving ourselves; instead, we're deceiving ourselves under the guise of love.

As humans, we have a dual nature: our soul, whose mission is to attain immortality, and our mortal physical body, made of soil and bound to return to soil.

A Genuine Assessment:

Humans care about what is visible, but they can't see their own soul. Now, reflect on how much love you show your body and soul in a 24-hour period? This question is in line with scripture:

Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! 25 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?(Luke 12:22-26, NIV)

For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31 But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. (Luke 12:30-31, NIV)

Humans often fail to balance their love, spending most of their 24 hours focused on their physical body, which harms their soul. Neglecting one's soul is a form of self-misbehaviour, hurting our own souls and deceiving ourselves. As stated in scripture:

For the corruptible body presseth down the soul, and the earthy tabernacle weigheth down the mind that museth upon many things. (Wisdom of Solomon 9:15, KJV)

The more one loves their body, the more it displeases their soul. Loving the flesh gradually distances humans from loving their own soul. The human body, thus, consumed by worldly desires, polluting the soul.

What is the solution?

To Love our Soul:

Humans are created in truth, by truth, and for truth. Loving one's soul involves instilling truth within it. God is truth, as Jesus affirms in John 14:6 (NIV). Therefore, instilling truth in the soul is, in essence, instilling God. Those who love their soul successfully retain God's truth within, receive the necessary knowledge, intelligence, wisdom, strength, and patience, within their soul, to live a successful life. As a result, God guides them to live a life that is truly successful, comfortable, and balanced. God seeks individuals who love their soul, as recorded in scripture:

When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.” The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep”. (John 21:15-17, NIV)

God Hunts Self Lovers:

Jesus, who is the truth, is an intercessor who knows the depths of one's soul. Although Jesus knew about Peter's love for his own soul, He asked Peter questions, allowing his heartfelt response to reach the crowd. By doing so, Jesus emphasized that God loves those who love their own soul. He also revealed the divine reality that God designates and empowers such individuals with the right to preach love, as seen in His instruction to Peter: "Feed my sheep." (John 21:15-17, NIV). This preaching guides humanity to cultivate a thirst and hunger for loving their own soul, instilling truth and satisfaction through divine love within, as instructed in scripture:

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. (Matthew 5:6, NIV)

Love Own Soul: Embrace Love Within

It's essential to understand that the preaching of love won't be done by Peter, but by God Himself, who is love. All Peter needs to do is embrace love, which is God, by loving his own soul.

Secondly, it's crucial to recognize that if someone loves the physical Jesus but fails to love the Jesus within – the God of love within – how acceptable is their love to God? When someone loves their own soul, they embrace God within. As the scripture says, "God is love." (1 John 4:8). Therefore, they embrace divine love within.

As God is love, He searches for love within every individual soul He has created.

Therefore, those who embrace love by loving their own soul, develop the ability to love others as they love themselves. Such love for others is indeed pure, selfless and beyond expectation for self-respect, as instructed in scripture:

Do to others as you would have them do to you. “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. (Luke 6:31-35, NIV)

A Glimpse of Peter's Dedicated Preaching:

Come! Let's love our own soul, nurturing God's presence within us, and growing in love and truth proportionally. This will lead to a peaceful and comfortable life, guided by God's knowledge, intelligence, wisdom, strength, and patience. Thus, God will accomplish His act of love, Himself, from our soul, as described in scripture:

When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.” The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep”. (John 21:15-17, NIV)

Thus, Peter proclaimed by Jesus, Fed His sheep, preached the creation of His hands. Let us also learn to dedicatedly love our soul to love others.

Our Generation's Call: Love and Dedication

God has been active since the beginning, desiring that the message of love and truth would endure from generation to generation. This enables people to live a godly life, enjoying a comfortable and peaceful existence, as declared in scripture:

Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord. (Psalm 22 :30, NIV) As we reflect on this truth, let us love and nurture our souls, filling them with love, truth, and the presence of God. Remember, it is God who has kept us alive. Let us extend divine love to all, including future generations, so that all may experience divine love and live by it, from generation to generation.

Let us dedicate ourselves to worshiping the one true God. May we honor Him who embodies love, omnipresence, omnipotence, and infinite qualities.

Join us in our next article as we embark on an in-depth exploration of the human soul. We'll uncover the essential aspects of understanding and loving our souls.

To be Continued…..

==> Stay tuned for our next article, where we'll uncover how 'The Origin of Human Soul: When Do We Receive It?’ that transforms our faith journey.

Amen!

Praise be to God, Thanks be to God.

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