We Make the Road by Walking
Week 25
Chapter 44
The Practice of …..Holy, healthy, self love.
The Scripture…..Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. Proverbs 4:23
The Devotion
The book of Proverbs is probably the best self-help book written. It does not give laws that we must follow to reach a greater place in God’s kingdom(as if we could or God would require that) but paths that lead us to holy, healthy, living…holy as created in God’s image, healthy in that if we learn self control we will enjoy all the pleasures God intends for us in life.
In the yoga world self control is very much a practice of yoga. The Yamas and the Niyamas are about self control and discipline as a way of loving ourselves. A place where yoga and the bible intersect is in teaching us how we engage a mature sense of self by learning that self love flows from self control.
Self control is one way to practice self love….
Another way to practice holy, healthy, self love is to try and see yourself thru the eyes of the people in your world that really love you.
There is a tribe in South Africa that practices an unusual form of love for people who have acted criminally. They bring them to the center of town and for 2 days tell them that they love them…how they see them… The outcome has been tremendous in that the person begins to learn about forgiveness AND self love thru the practices of another.
In the greatest commandment Jesus says, “love God and love your neighbor as yourself,”… a difficult task to do if we do not practice self love. We can not love our neighbor and God as God has planned for us to, If we do not practice holy, healthy self love first.
