Do You Genuinely Love Your Neighbor As Yourself?
Yesterday we discussed the first of the two greatest commandments from Matthew 22:37, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.” Today we will discuss the second greatest commandment. It’s Matthew 22:39, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” First, God requires us to love him. Second, we are to genuinely love our neighbor as we love ourselves. Sounds simple, right?
We are to love our neighbors no matter how grouchy they seem. Grouchy neighbors have needs too. Ask yourself, what would Jesus do, then fulfill whatever need they have.
What if you have a terrible neighbor who is always yelling at your children for being too loud? Making noise is natural for them. First, think about what Jesus would do. Then love them, just as Jesus does. We are to care about them. Follow the golden rule: do unto others as you would have them do unto you?
Who is your neighbor?
Your neighbor is anyone who needs your help. Is there someone you are aware of who has a need? Maybe no one else knows about this need except you. God is calling you to love your neighbor by helping them. It could even be someone on the other side of the world. Maybe they need financial help, and God has blessed you abundantly. Share your blessings with those in need.
If you are in a grocery store and see someone struggling to pay for their bill at the checkout, consider helping them. Are most of the items they have food items? Maybe they are hungry. We are blessed to be a blessing.
How much do you love yourself?
You are to genuinely love your neighbor as you love yourself. This means that anything you would do for yourself, you will happily do for your neighbor. Your neighbor needs your love, do not begrudgingly give it. You must help them with genuine love.
All ten commandments are summed up into the two greatest commandments.
Love God and love others. It sounds simple, but simple isn’t always easy. Matthew 22:37-40, 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.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” We all need to start practicing loving our neighbors. Won’t you start today?
This is a great reminder. Many of us know what we should do, but are we really thinking about it and then acting on it?
I try and set a good example for my kids. I was pretty proud of my 22-year-old daughter the other day, who paid for someone’s dinner in the drive-thru lane behind her. She is on her own, so every dollar counts… but still did this. My younger kids are also encouraged to do nice things for others… giving their seat up on the bus, holding doors open for people, offering help. Small acts of kindness go a long way.
You must be so proud of your daughter. You raised her as a wonderful young lady. Congrats!
This is such an important topic. Forgiveness of another is NEVER easy especially when the transgression is so massive. We are called to forgive from a small slight to massive wrongs done to us. It is not easy, but neither was Jesus’ sacrifice to forgive our sins. I’ve not been tested to your depths Tammy. You are a very strong woman!
Thanks, Barbara. I’m sure we will continue to cross paths for a long time in our future since we both have a great love for our heavenly Father. God bless you!
Thank you, this is a great reminder of the scriptures!
I think even more these days a sense of community and caring is important.
What I’ve discovered is that most people don’t love themselves so they find it difficult to love others. And beyond that, I learned that I had to ACCEPT myself before I could love myself. What amazing things happen then as we truly love ourselves and then truly love others.
Those are wise words, Cindy. I should add them to the blog post. God made each of us unique, so we need to love ourselves, and I agree that we need to do this first before we can love others.
What a great reminder and excellent topic! Forgiveness comes from within, just like love does. You need to love yourself before you can fully love others.
I agree with Cindy in that it is hard to love others when you cannot love yourself. But I also think, that apart of the journey to finding love for yourself is also sharing it unconditionally with others – to the best of your ability- It aids in reminding you that what you accept and love in others should be blatantly loved in yourself as well. I don’t follow this well, but God sees our humanity and still called us as His beloved children and it is His greatest joy to see us come to a place of complete love and acceptance of both ourselves and others
Faye well said.