The man answered, “‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

Luke 10:27

Before you can love your neighbor, you must love yourself. If you struggle with depression or other mental illness you might be thinking, how could I possibly love myself? I'm such a mess. But let me tell you, it's possible; and I don't mean by being selfish, fake, or conceded either. The best way to learn to love yourself is to first start seeing yourself the way God sees you. Because the Word of God is truth!

Even if you're not convinced of yourself, you can still rely on the truth that Jesus not only died for you, but he came back! He rose again on the 3rd day and sent someone to help you live. He went to sit at the right hand of God, and as he is now, so are we in the eyes of God. Greater is he that is in me, than he that is in the world. My righteousness was a gift from God. Not because I am the best person ever in the world, but because God saw me and had compassion. Because of his compassion, I have the right and ability to stand before God. And if God thinks I am great, then it must be so. For God so loved ME that he gave his only begotten son, that if only I was to believe his name, I WILL be given eternal life. Therefore, because I believe in the name of Jesus, I have eternal life! In Jesus' name. I am the head and not the tail. I am above and not beneath. My head is anointed with oil, my cup does overflow. The Lord hears his people when they pray. He loves those who are righteous, and because I believe, I have been made righteous in the sight of God. And if God loves me, then I can love myself.

Our strength is found in God. All of our infirmities are there to show us that we must rely on God. Because first I am weak then I am strong. His grace is sufficient, for his power is made perfect in weakness. We have been given authority in this world. We've been given a purpose, and a mission, for how to continue living our lives as born-again children of God. We know that being born again, we are Kings and Queens.

Here are the scripture references if you don't believe me:

1 Corinthians 15:3-6

I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve. After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died.

Romans 8:32-34

Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.

1 John 4:16-17 NKJV

And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.

1 John 4:4 NKJV

You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

Ephesians 2:8-9

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.

2 Corinthians 5:21

For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.

John 3:16

“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

Deuteronomy 28:13

If you listen to these commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today, and if you carefully obey them, the Lord will make you the head and not the tail, and you will always be on top and never at the bottom.

Psalm 23:5-6

You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings. Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.

Psalm 34:15

The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right; his ears are open to their cries for help.

Romans 5:1

Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.

2 Corinthians 12:8-10

Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Luke 10:19-20

Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you. But don’t rejoice because evil spirits obey you; rejoice because your names are registered in heaven.”

All verses are from the NLT unless otherwise specified.

But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. 1 Peter 2:9 NLT