You Have to Have It to Give It

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You Have to Have It to Give It

Freely you have received, freely give. - Mattew10:8 NKJV

I have not always loved myself, but with God's help over the years, I did learn to receive His love, which helped me love myself in a balanced way, share His love with others, and love Him in return. This process didn't happen overnight and it wasn't easy, but it did happen for me and it can happen for you, too.

For a long, long time, I was desperately attempting to display loving behavior but had failed to receive God's love for myself. Therefore, I could not give love away to others. I didn't have any love to give. I had not received proper love during my life, so I didn't have the ability to love myself in the right way.

Maybe you can relate to my story; maybe you struggle in relation¬ships because you have never been loved properly. This can begin to change only as you begin to believe His Word, which says over and over again that God loves you. Develop the mind-set that says, I can love myself because God loves me. I can love what God can love. I don't love everything I do, but I love and accept myself because God loves and accepts me. As these thoughts take root in your mind, you'll find that you love yourself more and more—and then you'll have love to give away to others.

Love Yourself Today: "Lord, I declare that I love myself because You love me. The more I love myself, the more I can love others."

From the book Love Out Loud by Joyce Meyer.