Article February 3, 2020 Issue

The love that lifts us out of self-hatred

Rachel Schutz

Are we supposed to love ourselves? Most would agree that doing so is essential for living a happy and successful life. “Love yourself” is a popular admonition.

But does this conflict with the Christian demand to be humble and selfless? After all, Christ Jesus said, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23). As I’ve thought about what it means to love oneself, I’ve gained a spiritual perspective by exploring this question about identity: What exactly am I loving as myself?

The view of ourselves as basically a physical body with a human personality is not the correct perception of man. This view arises from the belief that we are made both spiritual and material, and thus are subject to limitation and personality flaws. This false self is susceptible to the extremes of either a crippling low self-esteem or an inflated ego, which can lead to flawed decisions that may be harmful to oneself or others.

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