before you love others, you need to love yourself.
display your confidence, humility, and dignity on your shelf.
dig deep to find who you are and who you want to be,
then present your true self for all the world to see.

this may not come easy, this much is true,
but there's no greater reward than finding the real you.
the ease to be natural, the joy to be free,
praising God saying, "thanks for making me, ME!"

it's easy to get wrapped up in the things all around,
but material possessions are not what's to be found.
self worth is not measured by your wallet or phone,
not even your clothes or house, but by you alone.

you can discover your interests, embrace every passion,
but don't get caught up with your looks and your fashion.
you can acknowledge an imperfection, accept a downfall,
tolerate your weakness, and love yourself through it all.

analyze your body for habits,  gestures, and quirks,
search your soul for every dream and secret that lurks.
find your inner peace, recognize what you cannot tweak,
and know God has made you special and unique.

now you may know yourself like the back of your hand,
but do you know your Creator who had you all planned?
best way to discover yourself is to consider the source,
the loving hands of God are the greatest force.

everything you are, is a miracle only God can make,
for this reason, you must never think you are a mistake.
to doubt yourself means to doubt your Father,
so if you think you need to change, don't bother.

every  interest, hope, dream, and taste,
every freckle, frizzy hair, ****, and waist,
every mother, father, daughter, and son,
God's blessings are seen in everyone.

if you suffer an illness or loss, lose your job and pay,
breakup or divorce, you can't find your way.
in the midst of it all, you may forget who you are,
starting from square one, know God isn't far.

have faith He made you to be blessed and succeed,
have faith He gave you a purpose, go where He will lead.
have faith He will you bring you through the bad,
have faith He will give you strength to smile when sad.

in a corrupted world of sin, violence, and greed,
it may be hard to be different and do God's deed.
people of sin will die but those of God will thrive,
a child of God, not of the world, will forever be alive.

God crafted each person and made them His own,
He lives inside you so you may never be alone.
next time you look in the mirror, put a smile on your face,
envision your proud Father wrapping you in His embrace.

love for yourself will come when you see God's love,
undeserved, precious, and holy love from above.
He sent His son Jesus to die and forgive our sins,
it is for His death that our new life begins.

God's love is all we need to make us full and complete.
only after He captures our hearts, can others compete.
to love others, we must know the greatest love of all,
and know there is a godly person to catch us when we fall.