As Yourself

Read Proverbs 11

Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The LORD our God is the one and only LORD. And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”

Mark 12:29-31

Jesus didn’t think it was enough to be kind or nice to our neighbor. He insisted on repeating his Father’s standard (Leviticus 19:18)—love your neighbor as you love yourself.

The second part of the great commandment completes a triangle of love that challenges each person: love for God, love for neighbor, love for self. Each one affects the other two. None of the three is optional. All of them must be present for healthy living. Without love for God, love of self and neighbor is reduced to human effort. Without love for neighbor, love for self and for God becomes suspect (see 1 John 4:20). And without love for self, love for God and neighbor becomes impossible. All these exist for one reason—because God loved us first. God’s love invites our direct response. God’s love directs our response to include our neighbor. And God’s love demonstrates that we are lovable (see 1 John 4:9-10).

A WORD FOR TODAY

The greatest proverb—“Love God.”

Lord, teach me that I can learn a lot about loving my neighbor by letting you help me love myself the right way.