28 Powerful Bible Verses for Self-Love
Check out the top bible verses for self-love! These will help us love ourselves more and remember that we are wonderfully made and loved by God!
Learning to love yourself is an important part of spiritual growth and wellbeing.
While the Bible doesn’t directly address self-love, there are many verses that touch on valuing oneself, overcoming insecurity, and embracing who God made you to be.
In this post, I will share some of my favorite bible verses about self-love and worth.
These short bible verses for self love remind us of our inherent worth and that we are carefully crafted by God.
When we remember we are loved unconditionally by our Creator, we can better extend that same grace and compassion to ourselves.
My hope is that reflecting on these self love verses will help you on your journey towards wholehearted self-love and acceptance.
Biblical truth, combined with prayer and guidance from the Holy Spirit, has the power to transform our self-perception and help us become our best selves in Christ.
Now, here are the best self love bible verses!
1. 1 John 4:16-18 NIV
“And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”
I think this is one of the self love verses because as we try to become more like Christ, we will be filled with love, not only for Christ, God, and others, but also for ourselves.
2. Genesis 1:26-27 KJV
“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.”
God made us to be like Him! This is one of the best bible verses about self love KJV because there is no way God wouldn’t want us to love ourselves. He made us perfectly and exactly like Him; which means we all have it in ourselves to accept and love ourselves.
3. Matthew 6:26 NIV
“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?”
God values you. God loves you. So use this scripture about loving yourself to validate that you do and should love yourself too!
You have value and incredible worth. Never forget that.
Listen to some Christian songs about depression if you are struggling with self-love and self-worth.
4. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NIV
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”
These are all attributes that you want to have. But, it also talks about how you should think and act about yourself too!
Love always protects, so protect yourself from the negative thoughts you have about yourself!
This is also one of the best bible verses on marriage too.
5. 1 John 3:1 NIV
“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.”
I like this bible verse about self love because it teaches us that we are all children of God, which is the highest attribute we could ever have.
6. Ephesians 5:8 NIV
“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light.”
This is another one of my favorite bible verses on self love. It just simply shows me that because I follow Jesus Christ, I am filled with His light. I am worthy of His love, and my own!
7. Ephesians 2:10 NIV
“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
Once again, this scripture shows that we are made in the image of God, a perfect God, which means we were already prepared by God to love ourselves and be true to who we are.
If this isn’t a self love bible verse, I don’t know what is!
8. Matthew 10:29-31 NIV
“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”
Just as God knows your worth and will always give you grace, you need to learn how to give yourself grace too.
9. Isaiah 43:4 NIV
“Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your life.”
I think this is one of the best bible verses about self love NIV that I’ve found. It brings me so much peace knowing that God loves me. It says it right here! And if He loves me, why shouldn’t I love myself?
10. Matthew 22:37-39 NIV
“Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
This right here is the absolute top bible quotes for self love. It is actually a commandment to love ourself, just like we are supposed to love our neighbors.
It all start with loving yourself first!
11. John 13:34 NIV
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”
I had to include it twice, because it is that good and because it is written in the scriptures multiple times to love yourself!
Easily one of the best scriptures on self love.
12. Deuteronomy 7:7-8 NIV
“The LORD did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But it was because the LORD loved you and kept the oath he swore to your ancestors that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt.”
I like this as one of my top bible verses for self worth, because once again, God is simply telling us He loves us. An almighty God loves you and He loves me. That is so powerful.
13. Philippians 4:8 KJV
“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”
We are taught to only think about good things. So, if we are thinking negative thoughts about ourselves, we aren’t following this scripture.
It’s another one of the great bible quotes about loving yourself.
14. Genesis 1:31 NIV
“God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.”
God made us, and He specifically said it was very good. Which means, He thinks we are very good!
So use this for one of your bible verses for self love and confidence!
15. 1 John 4:8 KJV
“He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.”
This is one of the short bible verses about self love. God is love, so if we want to have God with us always, we must have love for ourselves.
16. Ephesians 5:28-29 NIV
“In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church.”
Another one of the great self love bible quotes! No one should hate their own body, but take care of it. It’s as simple as that.
17. 1 Samuel 16:7 NIV
“But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”
18. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NIV
“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”
Honor your body and yourself! This scripture is another one of the bible quotes about self love that is so simply put.
19. 1 Peter 2:9 NIV
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”
We are a chosen people for a reason. God knows it, so you should know it too! You are worthy of love.
20. Proverbs 31:10 NIV
“A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.”
21. Psalm 139:13-14 NIV
“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”
This is one of my favorite biblical affirmations. If we love ourselves, we will say too, that we are wonderfully and fearfully made!
Check out more psalms for comfort and hope.
22. Romans 12:10 KJV
“Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;”
Yes it is important to be kind to one another, but it also means to be kind to yourself too!
23. Leviticus 19:18 NIV
“Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.”
This bible self love verse is so beautiful. You must love your neighbor as yourself. If you don’t love yourself, how can you love others? It all starts with you!
24. Isaiah 54:10 NIV
“Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the LORD, who has compassion on you.”
God has compassion on you, so have some with yourself!
Read more bible verses for struggling moms.
25. Zephaniah 3:17 NIV
“The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”
This is one of my favorite scriptures for anxiety too!
26. Mark 12:31 NIV
“The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
There is no greater self love in the bible example than this. It’s been said multiple times throughout all these scriptures.
27. 2 Timothy 1:7 NIV
“For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.”
This is one of the great bible verses for confidence and courage!
28. 1 Peter 3:3-4 NIV
“Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.”
Bible Verses for Self-Love Wrap-Up
The bible is filled with verses that speak to our innermost needs, including the need to love ourselves.
As children of God created in His image, we all have inherent worth and value. These verses remind us that we are loved unconditionally, empower us to overcome self-doubt, and encourage us to embrace our true identity in Christ.
Reflecting on these uplifting bible verses for self-love can positively impact how we talk to ourselves and care for ourselves each day.
