“Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.” (Ephesians 5:33 NKJV)
“I love me some me!” – Terrell Owens
How do you feel about yourself, as a person? Do you like yourself? Many of us are loving and accepting of ourselves. We give ourselves grace and we trust ourselves most of the time. In relationships we must always remember there is another person who is just as special, valuable, and deserving as we are.
That other person in the relationship should receive the same self preserving, grace covering, fault forgiving love we show to ourselves. They don’t have to earn it just as we don’t have to earn favor with ourselves. They need the same reverence and respect we believe we should receive. It’s respecting the person, before we even consider what they may say or do.
I often tell my wife, Melissa “I love me some you!” She doesn’t have to do anything to earn my love because I’ve accepted her person as a part of my person. I can’t think about myself without thinking about her. When I love her, I’m loving myself. Melissa also respects me and has given me the same grace she gives herself. Because we are together, my value isn’t measured by the car I drive, the money I make, or the titles I hold.
Every relationship is personal. If you’re dating, be sure to look beyond the polished looks and perfume to examine the person you’re with. If you’re married, be sure to look beyond the husband and wife titles to see the person God placed in your life. They deserve the same love and respect you give to yourself.
That is so true. If you don’t love yourself how can you love some else. As my granddaughter states be your own person and love yourself, then you are capable of loving. I just told my husband you are a part of me and if I didn’t love you there is no way I could worry about you
and be here for you with all the sickness you having to endure. If I didn’t love me and my husband been apart of me and God been on my side that I would be able to handle all of this.