When the Pharisees asked Jesus which was the greatest commandment, He basically answered by boiling them all down to what appears to be two, but is actually three.
Listen to Matthew 22:37-39 …
Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
So who are we to love? God. Yes. Then our neighbor, which actually just means our fellow human beings. But we so often miss the last part He said. You have to love people “as yourself.”
Sometimes we tend to love ourselves as in we will fight to get what we want or practice self-preservation at all costs. Jesus said if that’s how you love yourself, love others just like that, with that same fervor. But here’s another side to that coin … Another way we can interpret this statement is “You cannot love others any more than you are able to love yourself.” Are you really bad at loving yourself? Guess what? That’s going to be your level of loving others too.
Do you see it? I hope so, because this is a game changer.
Now that you’ve heard these new thoughts, listen once again … Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
Have you been hurt so much that you are focused on taking care of you over anyone else? Well, what if you were to love people like that? Then you’d be super-loyal, giving, and protective of everyone.
Or do you struggle to love yourself and you know that makes your level of loving others really low, so it’s time for something to give?
The great news is the key to change for either side of this issue is found in the first part of the verse: ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’
Let’s pray together: “Heavenly Father, Teach me to love You, then teach me how to love me, then let all that start to create love for everyone around me. As above, so below.”