What God Does Not Command / Ask / Suggest

God does not tell us to do these things; therefore, He will not help us or give us the resources to do them:

God designed us to do these things, and gives us (abundantly) His Word, Himself, and His people to accomplish them:

We are not designed to love ourselves. Because of our sin nature, however, we do. Yes, in our flesh, ALL of us love ourselves more than anyone else (“Love your neighbor as yourself” assumes you love yourself – it is not telling you to love yourself. Ephesians 5.29 reminds us, Indeed, no one ever hated his own body, but he nourishes and cherishes it…). If we truly love someone else more than ourselves, it is by God’s grace. Even those who believe they are wretched, undesirable, and unlovable are putting themselves first, simply by the fact that they are considering their own opinion of themselves. Those who know they are wretched are actually blessed to be given eyes to see their true nature (and repent).

What to do about it?

The answer is, we are designed to love God above all else, to glorify Him. Everything we do in this life is to be for the purpose of glorifying God. Even Jesus came to glorify His Father (John 17.1: Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you.) When Jesus glorified His Father, that meant joy for Him (Hebrews 12.2: Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God).

God’s Word never tells us to get ahead in this life, to get all you can, to value man’s opinion (or your own opinion) of you. God is the ONLY ONE Who matters. Colossians 3.3: For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. THAT’S where your joy and peace come in: when you die to yourself / to your flesh, and live to glorify God.

The Good News is that, through glorifying and loving God, we achieve our true joy. That’s how God designed us.

How to do this? Read God’s Word. A LOT! Study God. Get with others who also love and study God. Obey God’s teaching and His Holy Spirit.

It seems an oxymoron to pursue happiness by spending all our time for the glory of Someone Else, and to forget our own selves. But God says, For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts (Isaiah 55.9); and …hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? (1 Corinthians 1.20).

Set your minds on the things above, not the things on the earth.  For you have died, and your life has been hidden with Christ in God. (Colossians 3.2, 3)