SELF-LOVE
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1 John 3:18-22 (NRSV)

Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action. And by this we will know that we are from the truth and will reassure our hearts before him whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have boldness before God; and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we obey his commandments and do what pleases him.

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From oppression and violence he redeems their life; and precious is their blood in his sight.
- Psalm 72:14 (NRSV)
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I lost my job two years ago. I also lost confidence in myself. I felt incompetent, useless, rejected, and abandoned. I wondered if I had originally made the right choice of employment, and I questioned God about what I was going through.

After a long time of suffering financially, mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually, I asked what God thought of me. I found an answer in Psalm 72: I am precious to God. The psalm comforted me and eased some of my pain. My sense of self-worth and self-confidence gradually returned.

Many of us struggle to recover from the shock of losing something, such as a job, that forms an important part of our identity. Even if no one seems to value us, the Bible tells us that God appreciates and delights in us.

Prayer: Dear God, help us to see ourselves as you know us - precious, beloved, worthwhile. As Jesus taught us, we pray, "Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen."*

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
The greatest truth in life is this: God loves us.

-- Catherine Walters (Gauteng, South Africa)

PRAYER FOCUS: Those who need self-confidence