“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.” Matthew 22:37-39
For as long as I can I remember loving myself has always been a struggle. And I can imagine that for many of you, you can relate. The world puts pressure on our shoulders to be confident in ourselves but not too confident because that confidence can become conceit. I’ve worked so hard at trying to find the balance of walking in humility and at the same time trying to walk in the value that I carry. And the truth is, I have yet to walk in complete confidence as the woman God has created me to be. In attempting to find the balance of humility and value I created a cycle that always brings me back to self-hatred. It’s so easy for me to take anything good about myself say the complete opposite and claim the lie as truth about my character. It’s easier for me to believe that I am nothing and have nothing to offer than to claim the God given gifts I possess. Part of my Race is God calling me to love myself as He loves me so that I can love others better.
The SECOND greatest commandment is to love others as yourself. One of my gifts is loving others well. And as I learn to love myself, my love for others will flow from a place of confidence in the woman God has created me to be drawing others to love themselves the same. At training camp the Lord spoke this over me, “I need you to be you so that they can be them. Walk in the identity I give you with pride. I’m proud of who you are, NOW YOU BE PROUD OF YOU.”
My friends, this is so hard for me. My heart is to walk in freedom and confidence, and I know that by the Lords strength, I will get there. Will you join me in praying that I quit listening to the lies and allow the Lord to speak true identity over me? I pray that for you as well. I pray that the Lord speaks so loudly over you that all the lies are drown out by His sweet voice.
I’m Hannah Hand. I am confident. I am free. I am joyful. I am silly. I am wise. I am clever. I am beautiful. I am a blessing. I am cherished and loved. I am a leader. I am righteous. I am redeemed. I am known and valued more than I will ever understand.
