Doing My Best to Love Others as I Love Me

Doing My Best to Love Others as I Love Me
I must love myself a lot because I sure do my best to take care of me – walking daily to keep my heart strong, doing mind and brain exercises to stay sound, spending time with God so I stay spiritually fit, eating healthy foods (most of the time) and taking nutritional supplements to subsidize what I don’t. But, the question is do I love others as much as ME? Thanks, Lord, for that one – I think! That “Thou Shalt”…..love your neighbor as you love yourself -- one!

Yesterday, my blog was about "taking the High Road" of living out the love of Jesus to those around us. That “high road” way is a radical love-walk-and-talk life where kindness, love, joy and peace rules. That means we are lovingly different -- extending His love freely and unconditionally to others.

After I posted my blog about "taking the high road", I read my devotional for yesterday. It also spoke about "taking the "high road" by never returning evil for evil – no matter what someone says or does to us. For example, when a relative makes a hurtful comment, rather than retaliate with a nasty comment or text back -- "take the high road"! It's not easy taking the high road, but with Jesus’ help, we can conquer evil with love.

I’m apologizing for the times I’ve allowed myself to look at others and think “How could they? Why would they? I would NEVER make that choice!” Father, please forgive me, because “but, for the grace of God – there go I”. Luke 6:37 says “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven…” I have no right to judge because I don’t know how it feels to be rejected, hated, or considered untrustworthy because of the color of my skin. I don't know how it feels to be hated for merely existing.

I have no right to judge because I don’t know the struggle of not identifying with my gender. I was born with the chromosomes of a woman and I can’t imagine wanting to be anything but a woman. I have no right to judge because I don’t know the frustration and helplessness driven by an addiction. I’ve never been burdened with an all-consuming desire to consume a substance over and over again while knowing that doing so could kill me and destroy my family.

I DO KNOW, i’s time for us to connect with our brothers and sisters in this human race, to remember our need for each other, to act upon loving our neighbors in the spirit that Jesus asks us to love in Mark 12:30-32. It should stir us into action every time we’re tempted to turn away from trying to understand and comfort another. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.”

It’s difficult to wrap our minds around the chaos and the actions of our fellow man, but it’s not about the why, who, what, when and where. It’s about God's love running through our veins, our hearts and our minds because LOVE conquers all.

Do They Know Us By Our Love?

I attended a monthly meeting this week and someone said, “They will know we are Christians by our love!” Immediately I thought of a 60’s song by that title. The song and that statement “They will know we are Christians by our love" come from John 13:35: “This is how everyone will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another.”

I’ll be honest with you. There are times when I can be a little snarky – not emulating that Christian love. My disapproval of someone’s actions, even though I don’t say a word, is evident in my demeanor. I know I’m just not feeling the love for that one, but that scripture said: “have love for one another”. Lord knows I want to be that gal that loves….in spite of the way someone acts or speaks.

Of course, God, Himself, is our greatest example of loving….in spite of. His new commandment was to love each other as He loved us. It wasn’t a suggestion. It was a commandment to love one another. There is not one person Jesus does not love and did not come to save -- this includes everyone we lock eyes with, walk past on the street, hear about in the news, live next door to, stand behind in line at the grocery store, or sit next to in the waiting room. When we actively love those around us, putting their needs before our own, we are taking the same amazing love that Jesus poured out to us and become a living, breathing, beautiful display for humanity.

While many believe love is a just a nice, heart-warming feeling when everyone is nice and heartwarming, as Christians, we are called for it to be more than that -- we are called to take action. We can share God’s love by noticing the unnoticed, loving the unlovely, or even by extending grace to those who are not so easy to be around.

Putting our love into action in this month of love (and beyond) will sincerely show we are Christians by our love. Love in action is asking God to help us actively love others -- to actively walk across the street to help our neighbors, to actively cook a warm meal for a friend in need, or to actively visit a nearby nursing home to love on the elderly. His love in action through us will lead us to places where He wants us to shine His light and give us the courage and strength to share His love with all who surround us in our daily lives. And, then a love ripple effect will take place. We will guide people to His beauty and they, too, will begin to actively love others and then, who knows how many lives will be impacted?