"Love the one you are with. That will always include you."
Our Spiritual Nature
People often ask me how they can love themselves unconditionally, regardless of what they have done or how they think or feel. When we realize our spiritual nature, we have a better way of looking at what we do as human beings. By remembering who we are spiritually, we can more easily be loving and accepting towards ourselves and all that comes forward in our lives. So, I suggest that as we start out and complete with each day, we take the opportunity to engage ourselves inwardly in the Spirit first.
When we choose to realize ourselves spiritually, we find ourselves functioning according to the laws of Spirit -- acceptance, cooperation, understanding, enthusiasm and empathy. There is an aligning of how we are intending ourselves spiritually, as souls who are one with God. A key is to appreciate with gratitude whatever comes your way. Everything has value. Nothing needs to be different from what it is, including you. Yet, in this world, change is constant. While living in the world and coping with change may be challenging, you can learn to align with and practice how to apply the laws of Spirit and love it all.
Gratitude
Begin the day by getting yourself in a consciousness of gratitude. There is a reason God is bringing a challenge to you. You can ask inside, "Help me to understand, Lord. What is it I am to learn?" Some days you just have to do the best you can. So say, "Thank you, Lord," and choose to handle the situation as best you can with what you know and the conditions present.
As you start the day, first surround and fill yourself with Light and love. You can do this as a prayer to God, an invocation of the Light, or through your creative imagination. Then, extend the Light into your day as you see yourself moving forward in the world. During the day, remember that the Light goes before you and prepares the way. All the things that come forward in your day, expected or unexpected, wanted or unwanted, are part of that Light action which is always present within you.
All is Loved
In Genesis, the first book of the Bible, God declares with each progressive day of creation, "It was good" (Genesis 1). There is a divine authority placed within each of us to claim the blessings of unconditional loving through our trust and faith in the intrinsic good in everything. Even if you do not recognize that divine presence right now, it is present. The Light and love are present always.
We may not necessarily like all our circumstances. We're tested in our personalities, our minds, and our egos. So it's important to engage your trust and faith that each situation and experience is of the Light and love. Everything that comes forward in your day is from God and therefore inherently good and loved unconditionally. Even when you don't like something, remember "This too is loved." Remember, you too are loved.
You might ask yourself, "Am I loving this? Am I loving myself?" Take a moment to pause and listen. Maybe you'll realize you need to get yourself engaged inwardly because outwardly you're already reacting negatively. If you are, then move inwardly into the Spirit and re-instill that love is your foundation. Love is who you are and what you are, regardless of what is done or said or anything that happened.
Move into full commitment to love and care for yourself as you are. Could you have a relapse? Well, of course. But with good awareness about yourself, you can say, "I've already done that. I don't need to do that again." Through your courage and patience, and by remembering who you are spiritually, you can stop the pattern that puts you down and finds fault with yourself.
Spirit and our Humanness
Inside of you, in the Spirit, is the place of highest regard and adoration towards you. It's the place of the Lord, the God of us all. It's amazing that we would cut ourselves off from the awareness of that divine presence, but it's very human. It's part of our ordinariness.
In our humanness, we may function in judgment, disillusionment, and disturbance. Knowing that about ourselves, we can raise our consciousness by treating it like a wayward child. Rather than punishing or being harsh with yourself, do those things that are loving towards yourself. Do them for the glory of the Spirit within you. Love yourself as a testimony to the Lord, as the beloved child of God that you are.
Loving and Learning
Be honest with yourself and educate yourself about loving who you are. Through your unconditional loving and forgiveness of yourself you can move past any self-judgments you have. Each of us has the strength and ability to let go of anything interfering with loving ourselves unconditionally.
As you choose to love yourself unconditionally, there will be learning going on. So ask inside for what will help and assist you as an experience and information to come forward so that the highest learning can take place for you. As you call upon the Spirit, you can let go of negativity and disturbance and whatever is no longer serving you for your highest good. Through your trust and faith, you can let go, knowing those disturbances are dissolved and cleared through the Light and love.
Our Souls
In You Are the Blessings I wrote, "Our response to the conditions of life may be very dysfunctional, yet the Soul is always thriving, using everything for its learning, growth and upliftment. The Soul thrives on life. Every condition, every occurrence, every part serves to nurture and expand the radiation of the Soul. That is the power of the Soul. It takes every bit of negativity and converts it into God's love. That love is a constant blessing."
There is a purpose in the way the world has been created that is serving your soul. There is a purpose in the way you have been created exactly. There are no mistakes. All the conditions in your life are on purpose because they are of God and loved unconditionally.
The true nature of loving is unconditional. How far does "unconditional" go? It is infinite. That means your ability to be loving towards yourself is infinite. God's love for you is infinite and unconditional. Come into the truth and rejoice in the truth of who you are as a loving soul, beloved of God.
Baruch Bashan (The Blessings Already Are)
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John Morton is the author of the inspiring books, The Blessings Already Are and You Are the Blessings. Learn more about John at www.theblessings.org. You can contact John at johnmorton@theblessings.org.