Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day!

On a day all about love, I find myself reflecting on the royal law, by which I try to live my life: Love the Lord and love others as I love myself.

Today, I was wondering why it is God wants to love others as we love ourselves. As I was reflecting on it at Bible study, a thought occurred. We sure do love ourselves. I think about myself a lot. Sometimes I am not even trying to think about myself, I just find my mind wanders to things that are going on in my life, things I want to do, want to change, etc.

God didn't call us to love each other just like we love our parents ... Or our children ... Or our friends.

There's a reason God chose to say love them as you love yourself!

I wonder if it's because if we love people the way we love ourselves, it takes the focus OFF of us and onto others. We would stop dwelling on us and start dwelling on others.

Doesn't that sound like someone familiar?

By loving others as we love ourselves, we are being more like Christ and less like the world. The world tells us to think about number one, take care of yourself, be independent. Christ tells us to think of others. Love others. Show mercy. Show compassion.

I make a lot of allowances for myself to mess up, to make mistakes. Do I offer that luxury to others? I allow myself the freedom to mess up, and I forgive myself - heck I excuse myself sometimes! Do I treat others to the same freedom? Or do I tend to condemn?

This is a great quote from a woman, "Do you just want to be right? Or do you want to have a relationship?" Because sometimes we choose being right over our relationships. Sometimes we choose self righteousness over grace and mercy.

And that is not love, especially not loving others as ourselves.

Ponder how you love people today, and so will I.