Love God and your neighbor

March 18

Read Matthew 22:34-40 and reflect on the passage.

Underneath the starry sky, we rode back to the village in an open- air cattle truck. The Honduran man sitting next to me had led us in worship two nights before. He joined us that night in the neighboring village as our team lead worship. Without speaking the same language, we could love God together.

But, their love of God extends much farther than the walls of the church. It’s spending days nailing together a new chicken coop, advocating for clean water even if it won’t reach your own house, and dropping your own plans to take visitors on a challenging hike. I went to Honduras to serve my global neighbors, but it was the people in those villages that showed me what loving neighbors in your own community really means.

Now back home, I’m called to do the same. Jesus clearly commands us to love the Lord and love our neighbors. We are surrounded by people in our communities, offices, and homes that we can love the way Jesus does. For me, a reminder now hangs on my refrigerator—a photo of the mission team with a note from our team leader: “Love God. Love People. Impact the world.”

Questions

1. Who are the neighbors that God is calling you to love and serve?

2. How can you love God by loving others today?

Prayer

Lord, You are good. Thank You for Your unconditional love. Help me to love my neighbors the way You love me.

—Kelsey Kimmelman

Love God, Love Others

“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 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 commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”  -Matthew 22:36-39

Love God, Love Others.  Sounds simple doesn’t it. It actually is, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy.

Why?  Why is it so hard for us to love God the way Jesus tells us to in Matthew?  I think it’s because it says to love him with ALL of our heart, ALL of our soul and ALL of our mind.  If we can do that then the next would come easy, to love our neighbor as ourselves.

If I think about my own journey to love God with ALL of those areas, it means getting myself out of the way. A popular meme going around Facebook reads, “Thinking more of others doesn’t mean thinking less of yourself, it just means thinking of yourself less.”  I think that fits here. 

When we get up in the morning, we typically think about ourselves first. What we are going to eat, what we are going to wear, and what we are going to do that day.  If we have kids, we think of them but usually even then we are thinking about how they are going to make us late.

Perhaps we should start the day thinking about God.  It sounds so simple it almost seems cliché, but the reality is, spending time in prayer asking him what we should do, and reading our Bible seeking his wisdom takes the focus off of ourselves and puts it on him.  

Then we are more prepared to think of our neighbor and notice where they may need grace or mercy extended.  Simply put-- Love God, Love Others. 

Listening is Hospitality

If you are like me, there have been times when something is bothering you … really bothering you.

  It could be something that happened at work, or a misunderstanding with your spouse. Perhaps it had something to do with politics, or the recklessness of a driver in another car. Maybe, heaven forbid, it was something that happened at church.

Sometimes you have to take action to rectify the situation. Other times you merely need to vent. A reassuring ear can do wonders to get something off of your chest.

 Today’s reading is Matthew 22:34-40. Jesus is talking to the Sadducees (a Jewish sect that had merged many Greek ideas into their culture). He tells them to “Love the Lord your God with all your soul and all your mind” and to “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

 Loving your neighbor is not always easy. Let’s face it, we can’t always be pleasant. There are days when we wake up on the wrong side of the bed. Other days we are sure our neighbor woke up on the wrong side.

 Yet, we are to love them.

 Being hospitable to someone is a sign of Christian love. A smile and some kind words, the very basics, are a great start. But there are times when that is not enough.

 Your neighbor might have something that is bugging them.

 They are in no position to respond, or appreciate your hospitality. They have something else that needs to be dealt with.

 What do you do? If you are like me, you might want to walk away. But that wouldn’t show much love. Rather, you listen. Listen to what is bugging them. Let them get whatever it is off their chest. Maybe even give their emotion a name.

They will know you care, maybe even love them.

 Your hospitality and your love will be understood and appreciated.