God commands us to love our neighbor as ourselves. Have you ever considered God’s requirement for self-love? 

Last year, I attended the Essence Festival, where the theme was “We Love Us.” Walking through, I could feel the power of the moment. For years, as a community, we’ve faced challenges that sought to strip us of our value. Yet, here we were, demonstrating the importance of self-love in our community—celebrating our beauty and resilience. It was as if we were collectively reciting Psalm 139:14, “We are fearfully and wonderfully made.” 

Just as we can affirm, “We Love Us” we must choose to extend love to ourselves. Yet, too often, we disqualify ourselves because of guilt and shame. The truth is self-love is not about excusing sin, but about recognizing that our worth is not defined by our failures. God’s love is based on His grace, not our perfection. When we withhold love and forgiveness from ourselves, we hinder our ability to love others as He commands. 

Today, I challenge you to extend grace, compassion, and forgiveness to yourself — just as God did!