In the Bible, someone asks Jesus, “What is the greatest commandment?” He replies with not only the greatest commandment, but the second commandment as well. And we don’t often hear–let alone follow–that second commandment in its entirety.
“Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’” (Matthew 22:36-39).
Jesus doesn’t only say love your neighbor. Jesus says, “love your neighbor as you love yourself.” If we don’t love ourselves, how can we claim to love our neighbor as we love ourselves? It’s been a long journey for me to come to terms with the fact that I was trying to live out the greatest commandments without loving myself. How many of us actually do love ourselves?
How might God be calling you to love yourself more fully?
This message is an excerpt from “Falling in love with me” by Rozella Haydée White in the February issue of Café.
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