Living in Increase (Part 2) - Increase in LoveSample

Spiritual Gifts

Here’s a simple truth: You can’t love yourself if you don’t know yourself.

I remember being in middle school, seeing guys in public, and thinking, “Oh my gosh… He’s hot! I love him!” And while I know now that thought process is completely insane, I really believed it in the moment! My friends would always tell me, “Ugh, Emily… You don’t even know him! How can you say you love him?” Then, the reality of the situation would set in, and I realized this was true. I couldn’t truly love someone I didn’t know.

To love ourselves, we have to know ourselves. Yesterday, we talked briefly about God making you unique. Today, we will expand on that thought. In 2 Timothy 1:3-7, we see the Apostle Paul, who planted churches in the New Testament days, write to Timothy, whom he considered to be his “son in the faith” (1 Timothy 1:2). He knew Timothy’s family well, and in this letter (what we now know as 2 Timothy), Paul encourages him. He “reminds” Timothy to “fan into flame the spiritual gifts God gave [him]” (2 Timothy 1:6). Then, he tells him not to fear or be timid because God has given him power, love, and self-discipline (2 Timothy 1:7)!

To honestly know who we are, we must know Whose we are and how He made us. We must understand what God designed us to do. 1 Peter 4:10 says that God has given EACH of us a gift, and the gifts He’s given us are not all the same. As we noted yesterday, we are masterpieces (Ephesians 2:10), and no two masterpieces are alike! Being able to love yourself begins with knowing yourself, which starts with knowing God and who He made you to be!

Emily N. Green

Action Step: Take an online spiritual gift assessment, or take one at your local church if offered. Remind yourself of how special God made you!