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. Mark 12:31-32.

In other blogs, I’ve talked about the fact that I was not a people person. Nor was I the kind of person who wanted to participate in block parties or neighborhood picnics. Before becoming a follower of Christ, I didn’t even care to know who my neighbors were. I know I didn’t love my neighbor. Do you love your neighbor as you love yourself?

God used my husband’s gift of hospitality and love for socialization to help me understand how much He desires me to be hospitable to my neighbors. But He desires much more than that; that I would love my neighbors as I love myself.

Some of us may be tempted to say, “Well, I don’t love myself. So, I guess I don’t have to care about my neighbor, either.” We may think that we are exempt from loving our neighbor as ourselves. Or we may think that, because we lack self-esteem due to poor body image or the loathing of our sin, we are loving them as we love ourselves. WRONG!

Ephesians 5:29 says, “For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church”. No one ever hated his own flesh! The Bible doesn’t lie!

A poor self-image, whether due to weight issues, feelings that we lack the intellect or an “appealing” appearance, is sin. A poor self-image is also a poor image of God’s ability to create perfectly. It is not of God. It is from the enemy. “I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.” Psalm 139:14.

Sin may also cause us to experience self-loathing. Even the apostle Paul hated the sin that was within him. “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death” Romans 7:24.

Even though we may encounter periods of self-loathing, we do not hate ourselves.  Ephesians 5:29 reminds us that this is impossible because we nourish and cherish our flesh, “just as the Lord does the church.”

We feed ourselves. We provide drink for ourselves. And, we take care of ourselves, providing shelter, necessities, etc. When we know Christ as our personal Lord and Savior, hopefully, we are providing ourselves with all the spiritual things necessary for our well-being, as well.

How then are we loving our neighbor(s) as ourselves?

Do we clothe them if they need clothing? Look at the size of our own wardrobes. We clothe ourselves in abundance. Some of us have closets full of clothes that we don’t even wear any longer. Our closets contain clothes that we “may squeeze into again” or our “fat clothes”. “John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.” Luke 3:11.

Would we shelter them if they lost their housing? We do everything that we can to ensure that we ourselves have shelter. Typically “shelter” equates to homes that are far bigger and more costly than we even deserve. “Share your food with the hungry, and give shelter to the homeless. Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from relatives who need your help.” Isaiah 58:7.

Would we feed them if they were hungry? We do everything that we can to ensure that we are fed. Typically, we ensure that we are fed so much that it is to our detriment. “The generous will themselves be blessed, for they share their food with the poor.” Proverbs 22:9

By doing what God says and ministering to others, either through food or any other means, glorifies God. “Feed the hungry, and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon.” Isaiah 58:10.

And that brings us to the final provision. Do we feed them spiritually?

Are we encouraging our spiritual siblings, in the Lord? “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,” Hebrews 10:24.

Do we pray for our neighbors? “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people,” 1 Timothy 2:1.

Are we sharing the gospel with those who need it? “And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.” Mark 16:15.

When we look at the lengths to which we will go to provide for ourselves, it is easy to understand that “no one hated his own flesh”. Sadly, it also reveals how little we love our neighbors.

In a desire to be obedient to God and His Word, we must follow the command to “love your neighbor as yourself”. In fact, when questioned as to which commandment was the greatest, “Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest command.” Matthew 22:37-38. He further responded, “And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.'”.

Loving our neighbor as ourselves is second only to Loving the Lord our God with all our hearts, souls, and minds!

We are always to love our neighbors, but during this particular time, our neighbors really need our love. During this particular time, God can really be glorified.

Our “neighbor” is anyone that God put’s in our lives. Have you called to check on your “neighbor”? Have you offered to grocery shop for them? Do you pray for them? There is no time like the present!

Father God, forgive us for neglecting our neighbors. Forgive us for not being your hands and feet. Father, forgive us for not using all that you have provided to glorify You. Forgive us for not loving our neighbor as much as we do ourselves. Lord, you loved us while we were still sinners, and before we accepted you as our Lord and Savior. Help us to love with that selfless love that You have shown us. Help us to be sacrificial in our love for our neighbors, the way that You were for us. Be glorified, Father. We pray this in Jesus’ precious and holy name.

If you do not know Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, and you are a neighbor who needs to be loved, I pray that you would go to our Life Preserver page (https://forgiven-n-loved.com/life-preserver/) and pray the prayer that is outlined there. The love that you will find in Christ is the greatest love that has ever existed. God wants you to experience that love. Please, pray that prayer. Once you have, please reach out to me at admin@Forgiven-n-loved.com and let me know. Also, feel free to reach out if you have any questions. I’d love to pray for you and help you to grow in your relationship and knowledge of the Lord.

Luv ya,