Hating Yourself is the Beginning of Loving God

Have you ever said “I hate myself; I’m a failure—I will never be good enough”? That’s a great place to be—hating yourself is the beginning of loving God. Jesus said: He that loves his life shall lose it; and he that hates his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal (John 12:25).

What does Jesus mean? He means we hate our sinful flesh as it manifests itself more times in a day than we want to admit. He means we hate our selfishness and self-centeredness. He means we hate our life when it becomes all about earthly things: obligations, duties, responsibilities—the cares of this world.

A holy hatred of all that keeps you from experiencing your victory in Jesus should rise up in your soul, where you cry out, 'Oh, God! I hate what I have become.' You must hate your present life so much that you cry out to God, “who will deliver me from this body of sin and death?” (Ro. 7:24). Then you are ready to make the great exchange—your emptiness for His fullness; your pride for His glory. Hate yourself? Yes. But don’t stay there. Let God’s love embrace you and lead you into the present reality of eternal life and love.