Depending on the translation you use, “love” is found anywhere from 442 to 759 times in the Bible. Let’s split the difference – 600. That’s nearly ten times for every book in the Bible.
On this Valentine’s Day, let me give you one of those verses on love.
“Love others as you love yourself” (Mark 12:31).
That’s a great verse only made better because it is red in the red-letter editions of the Bible. That means those were the words of Jesus.
Here’s the message – love yourself. Jesus said to only love others as you love yourself. That implies self-care. Being kind to yourself. Doing something fun – just for the fun of it.
Recovery Step: Love God. Love your family. Love the whole wide world! But don’t forget to love yourself. That’s healthy. It’s good. And – it’s biblical.
Mark and Beth Denison, married for 36 years, launched There’s Still Hope as a national movement to call men and women into lives of sexual integrity. Their ministry offers 90-day recovery plans for addicts and one-on-one and group coaching for addicts and their spouses. TSH also produces resources for pastors and churches to confront the porn epidemic that is destroying so many lives.
Dr. Denison was a senior pastor for over 30 years, NBA chaplain, and board chairman at Houston Baptist University three times. With a Master’s Degree in Addiction Recovery, Mark is a certified PSAP and active member of the American Association of Christian Counselors.
Mark has written four books on recovery: Porn in the Pew, 365 Days to Sexual Integrity, A 90-Day Recovery Guide, and 40 Days to Porn-Free Living. His latest book, Jesus on the 12 Steps, will be released later this year.
