Truth
“And God said ‘Love Your Enemy,’ and I obeyed him and loved myself.”
Perfect. Except you just made yourself God.
This is modern Christianity in one sentence. Twist Scripture. Avoid obedience. Make yourself the victim so you never have to love actual enemies.
“But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.” (Matthew 5:44, KJV)
Not “love yourself.”
Love THEM. The ex-wife who destroyed you.
The business partner who stole from you.
You convinced yourself YOU’RE the enemy.
So “loving yourself” = obedience.
That’s not discipleship. That’s narcissism with a Bible verse.
Loving yourself costs nothing.
Loving your enemy costs your pride (they don’t deserve it), your bitterness (you’ve fed it for years), your revenge fantasies, your victim identity.
That’s why you chose you.
“You have to love yourself first.”
“Self-care is biblical.”
“You can’t pour from an empty cup.”
That’s therapy, not theology. And it gives you permission to never love your enemies.
“For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?” (Matthew 5:46, KJV)
Loving people who love you? Easy. Pagans do that.
Loving enemies? That’s where discipleship starts.
You can keep loving yourself and calling it obedience.
Or you can obey Jesus and love the people who hurt you.
One is comfortable. One is Christianity.
—TBM