Dania - A young womans e guide to learning how to let god love her

A Young Womans E-Guide to Learning How toLet God Love Her

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1

TO THINE OWN SELF BETRUE

PAGE 4

CHAPTER 2

LOVE THYNEIGHBOR

PAGE 8

CHAPTER 3

UNGODLYCONNECTIONS

PAGE 13

CHAPTER 4

LONELINESS &EMPTINESS

PAGE 19

CHAPTER 5

DEALING WITHEMBARRASSMENT

PAGE 25

CHAPTER 6

LIVING WITH APURPOSE

PAGE 30

TO THINE OWN SELFBE TRUE

Many haven't learned howto let others love them because they haven't learned to be able tolove themselves. And many haven't been able to love themselvesbecause they haven't begun learning the art of how to beloved.

Most of us think we loveourselves when in fact we are really only in love with the personwe imagine ourselves to be. We love the person we will be when wegraduate college or when we get married or when we get thatgood-paying job or when we finally discipline ourselves to read ourbible as often as we think we should. However, we haven'tcompletely learned to love the person we are now or the person wewill be even if we never had the chance to accomplish those otherthings.

What ends up happening is,because a person never learned how to love the person they are now,they end up getting the job, getting the raise, getting the spouse,getting that thing they thought they always wanted and still haveno idea how to love themselves. That's because they were always inlove with the idea of being a fictional and futuristic version ofthemselves and never learned the art of loving themselvesnow.

Shakespeare said it bestwhen he wrote: "To thine own self be true". One of the greatestgifts a woman can give herself is the gift of learning to loveherself for who she is: the person she is without the make-up,without the friends, without the material things or the worldlyideals. That's the person she is when shes in a room by herselfwith no agenda or point she needs to prove to anyone. That's theperson she is when it's just her and God, the two individuals whoknow everything about her.

It's not the case that youhave to become that fictional and futuristic version of yourselfbefore you can be acceptable enough to have an intimaterelationship with God. He already knows everything about you. Itwon't surprise him when you reveal your deepest, darkest secrets tohim in prayer or when you talk about your most embarrassing momentswith him. He already knows!

God won't hate you andharshly judge you the way most people would or the way we sometimestend to do to ourselves when our imperfections are revealed. Infact, with an open line of honest communication to God, he willbegin to reveal to you the steps you need to take in order for youto find the happiness youre looking for.

God is not a god who onlydesires for you to do right so he won't be mad at you. He's the Godwho rewards you according to your right doings, but will also helpyou when you're down and guide you to the right places emotionally,spiritually, financially, physically and mentally.

In order to receive thisguidance you must first be willing to open up to God in sincerity.Don't be like Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden who tried to coverup their nakedness. God already knows who you are - the good aswell as the bad. Be open and honest with him and allow him to beginto show you how to fix the areas of your life you are most ashamedof. He loves you too much to only accept you when you're at yourbest.

LOVE THYNEIGHBOR

Let's be honest, one ofour least favorite things to do is follow the instructions of thatbible scripture in Luke 6:27-28 which tells us to love our enemies,do good to those who hate us, bless those who curse us, and prayfor those who spitefully use us. However, much of the reason wehaven't learned to love ourselves is because we haven't learned tolove the people who hurt us most. If we continue to be honest, mostof us can also include ourselves in the group of people who've hurtus most. Yet we don't even consider the option of learning toforgive ourselves because forgiveness is not a habit forus.

We don't know how tosay: "this person made a mistake, but Istill see their beauty". Instead we judge,we critique, we get angry and we allow bitterness to fester withinus. Then ten years later, a person hurts us the same way we wereonce hurt and we're still so offended by the last person, we takeour anger out for both on that one poor person who only committedone offense. We never learned to forgive.

We have to learn to loveourselves in spite of our flaws. This way, we can also begin tolove others in spite of their flaws and, most importantly, we'llactively learn to experience the truth that God loves all of us inspite of our imperfections.

You can tell a lot aboutthe level of a persons awareness of God's love for them by howmerciful they are to others. Most people who heavily critiqueothers are also in the habit of heavily critiquing themselves,baring a mindset that this is the way God is critiquing themtoo.

Yet, the teachings of thecross shares the message that God, who knew how full of flaws youwere, sent his Son to die for you so that, in spite of yourimperfections, you can have the right to escape the punishment ofyour wrongs while accepting the benefits of a righteous life. It'sa pure gift given out of unconditional love. If for some reason youthink the people who hurt you most don't deserve that unconditionallove then somewhere deep down you must also believe you don'tdeserve that kind of love either.

It's almost impossible togive something you dont have and if you're not someone who isloved with unconditional love it will be hard for you to give loveunconditionally. Your ability to love shows you the level ofmaturity youve reached when it comes to being able to receiveGods love. All it takes to be able to love and forgive yourselfand others is the simple task of taking on the mindset that Godloves us no matter what.

God knows every mistakeyou've made, every mistake you will make, how you've gotten in yourown way and hindered your own future, how you've trusted the wrongpeople without consulting him, how you've indulged in your flesh,how you fall victim to your own weaknesses, every evil thought youever had and every wrong thing you've ever done. He even knows theflaws you have that you yourself don't even know are there yet! Yethe chooses to love you anyway because you are his beloveddaughter.

It's like the story of theProdigal Son in Luke 15:11-32 who left his father's home andsquandered his inheritance while bringing shame to himself and hisfamily. Yet when he came to his senses and decided to return home,his father was waiting for him with loving open arms. Meanwhile,his brother was jealous by the love his disobedient brother wasreceiving, thinking that only he deserved his father's love becausehe had been so obedient.

Don't be like the brotherin this story who is deceived into thinking the love of a father iscontingent on the deeds of the child. The love of a father isdesigned to be unconditional. Your Father in heaven loves you nomatter what.

Get in the habit ofbelieving you deserve God's love in spite of your wrongs while alsopracticing forgiveness on others by loving them in spite of theiroffenses. Jesus says in John 13:34-35:

"A new commandment I giveto you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that youalso love one another. By this all will know that you are mydisciples, if you have love for one another.