When Paul recalls the command to love others as yourself in Romans chapter 13, he reminds us that all the commandments are summed up by loving others as you love yourself.
In order to give fully of yourself, there must be enough of you–the appropriate balance of love and respect for yourself. It is harder to see love of self as part of our call as Christians since sacrificial love for others is the foundation of our faith.
Biblically, we have more examples of believers living out love for neighbor over love of self. A faithful Christian might think it’s more important to recognize and live out the love of neighbor. But the scriptural command remains: As people who love God and follow Jesus, we must love ourselves as much as we love our neighbor.
This message is an excerpt of “Faith reflections: Loving others as you love yourself” by Megan Torgerson in the March 2019 issue of Café.
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