...as yourself
Matthew 22:37-39
37 Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’38 This is the first and greatest commandment.
39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
The majority of Christians have a fair understanding of 'Love the Lord God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’
It simply refers to God wanting us to love Him with our whole being; body, soul, and spirit. He's to be our anchor in our heart, soul, and mind. We live and breathe God!
The following part of these verses refers to loving our neighbors. Pretty straight forward, right? But let's not forget how we are to love our neighbors;
...as yourself!
This added piece often goes unnoticed. You must love your neighbors similar to the type of love that is inside of you.
Now the question begs to be asked; what kind of love is inside you? Who or what is your anchor?
New age love? A bottle of your favourite suds? Your addictions or some other self-serving love? Hopefully not, because you can't share the superior Love with neighbors if you live in the inferior and worldly love.
It is not a coincidence that the first part of these three verses deals with loving God first. He's the anchor of your being. Once equipped with this Divine Love then you proceed in loving your neighbors...
...as yourself!
