From the book “Protecting Against Eternal Identity Theft” we read:
Am I as gentle and patient with myself as I am with others?
If not, why not?
“When the Lord tells us to love our neighbors as ourselves, He is teaching that it is normal and foundational to love ourselves. Again, if we have a humble testimony of who we are, we are thankful to be who we are and we are happy being who we are—not because we created us but because Heavenly Father created us. That understanding naturally helps us to want others to likewise know who they are and to feel the same joy that we have. That is what it means to love our neighbor as ourselves. You can’t share what you don’t have, but when you have it, you can’t help but share it. Those who don’t truly love themselves as children of God cannot truly love others in the eternal way He intended. Without allowing the love of God into our hearts, we simply do not have the power to extend it to others. ~Barbara D. Lockhart, Wendy C.Top, Brent L.Top, Protecting Against Eternal Identify Theft (Salt Lake City: Covenant Communications, 2013), p.60
continued. . . .
