Jeremiah Ames
Well-Known Member
is there anything wrong with loving yourself more than others?
Welcome to Religious Forums, a friendly forum to discuss all religions in a friendly surrounding.
Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to the following site features:We hope to see you as a part of our community soon!
is there anything wrong with loving yourself more than others?
All.Some others or all others?
All.
Every single one.
is there anything wrong with loving yourself more than others?
is there anything wrong with loving yourself more than others?
is there anything wrong with loving yourself more than others?
is there anything wrong with loving yourself more than others?
@Gerry I would vote to "think of others before self within reason".
What was the example that Jesus set...that is always a good place to start....
On Jesus’ last night on earth, he was with his apostles having a meal; Jesus got up and took off his outer garments. He tied a towel around his waist and put water into a basin. Then he began to wash the feet of the disciples and to dry them off with the towel. When he had finished, he asked.... “Do you know what I have done to you?. . . “If I, although Lord and Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash the feet of one another. For I set the pattern for you, that, just as I did to you, you should do also.” (John 13:3-15) With this humble act, Jesus taught his apostles a lesson that they would not forget and that would encourage them to be humble later on. Here was the perfect son of God, the second most important personage in the Universe, humbly washing the feet of his own imperfect students.
If he did not think more of himself than them, why should we?
Then we have the contrast in the example of satan who is not humble at all and engenders his prideful and arrogant attitude in others. "Me first" has become the motto of modern times, but it isn't what Jesus taught. He said that "love" was to identify his disciples, (John 13:35) but it was the self-sacrificing kind that he displayed and advocated. (John 15:13)
The parable of the Good Samaritan highlighted what that meant.....going that extra bit to help someone in need without concern for self. I think of it like a person who stands in front of a cherished family member to protect them from an assailant.....or who grabs a person out of the way of a speeding car knowing that doing so might get themselves killed.
I like what Paul said..."For through the undeserved kindness given to me, I tell everyone there among you not to think more of himself than it is necessary to think, but to think so as to have a sound mind, each one as God has given to him a measure of faith."
So, it is necessary to think something of ourselves but there are obviously limits, and a sound mind will set those limits.
There was a song decades ago by George Benson called "the Greatest Love of All" and it he said that "leaning to love yourself is the greatest love of all".....he was right but for the reason that Paul outlined above. It IS necessary to love yourself but not to the exclusion of others...as Paul said in Philippians 2:3-4...."Do nothing out of contentiousness or out of egotism, but with humility consider others superior to you, 4 as you look out not only for your own interests, but also for the interests of others."
We must have some self interest in order to have the will to be interested in anyone else...even God.
What were the two commandments that Jesus gave to his demanding disciples?