Man-Eating Mosquitos
I have often heard it said, “You have to love yourself before you can love others.” But is that really true? Biblically speaking, loving ourselves is simply being selfish (this is how I read 2 Tim 3:2). What is true is that we have to respect ourselves in order to love (and respect) others. A proper view of self is the basis for truly loving others. On the other hand, self-contempt is the basis for other-centered contempt. And where does this kind of self-respect come from? It doesn’t happen by any psychological manoeuvre. It only grows as we allow ourselves to be loved by God our Father.