Intro: I recently saw a news report highlighting a trend to marry oneself; essentially you are the mate to you. I am sure that would cut down on a lot of arguments…well, I think it would anyway. If I have understood the point of those who are marrying themselves, this is a statement and demonstration of self-love. I have so many questions: Is this a legal document? When you get tired of yourself, do you get a divorce? If you find yourself attracted to another person, is that adultery?
The person who was interviewed said she was free to be with anyone she wanted, but she was first married to herself. By the way, she had a whole big formal wedding ceremony with an officiant, a wedding party, family, friends, a reception, and gifts.
I realize trauma, rejection, and a lack of loving examples can cause people great pain and I am certainly not minimizing how some folks can begin to loathe themselves. I am filled with empathy for the broken and mistreated. I just wrestled wrapping my head around why I would “marry myself” as a way to fix my brokenness! Mary marry Mary?
I believe inviting God to fill us with his love helps put self-love into perspective. No one, including myself, will make me ‘feel and know’ the love I was actually created to enjoy, because God is the One who ‘is and initiates’ that powerful love. God is the Healer of our hearts; he heals with himself who is LOVE. He brings beauty to replace our ashes, joy to replace our mourning, and praise to replace our despair” (Isa 61:3). God’s love is very practical and our actions need to line up with loving God and others…not just loving ourselves.
In our passage today from Paul and his letter to the Hebrews, he talks about the actions that will help us be empowered by the love of God, learn to love others by sharing the fruit of the spirit, and then experience the JOY of indwelling love that comes from our God. Paul asks the Hebrew believers to take care of one another so they help each other experience the love of God that alone satisfies the soul.
Hebrews 13:1-8 NLT Concluding Words
1 Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters. 2 Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it! 3 Remember those [believers] in prison, as if you were there yourself. Remember also those being mistreated, as if you felt their pain in your own bodies.
4 Give honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage. God will surely judge people who are immoral and those who commit adultery.
5 Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said,
“I will never fail you.
I will never abandon you.”
6 So we can say with confidence,
“The Lord is my helper,
so I will have no fear.
What can mere people do to me?”
7 Remember your leaders who taught you the word of God. Think of all the good that has come from their lives, and follow the example of their faith.
8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Prayer: Lord, we pray for your creation to know and experience your love; only you can make us feel loved and valued. The world drains us of authentic love unless we continue to come to you and be filled. I pray for a spirit of empathy to rise up in your children, so we can help one another through difficult, discouraging, and self-defeating times. If we only look at ourselves, Lord, we will never be healed. If we look to you, we will not only be healed, we will be made whole. Thank you for your great love. In Jesus’ name. Amen.