Love Your Neighbor as Yourself

At BSCC we are in the middle of a series entitled, "This Year I Resolve." Part 5 is to Love Your Neighbor as Yourself.



Jesus told us that the most important commandment is to “Love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength.” The second commandment, equally as powerful, is to "Love your neighbor as yourself." For me, the service today was really moving.



In general, I like to think that loving people is a strength of mine. I am a social worker and naturally I am inspired to find the best in people even when they are in their lowest place. In my job this may mean they are partaking in destructive behaviors which have the potential to cause trauma to themselves and/or their children. Some of those people are abusing their children, abusing substances, harming their significant others, and participating in criminal activity. Some of our clients "lowest point" just means they are down and out, can't find steady employment, or have a disability or mental health concerns. Working with clients, I can accept people for who they are and I can dream of a future where they are living up to the potential I know they have. I'll admit that some of those things are harder to look past than others. I also know that the difference between them and me is often a manner of seconds and the decisions that I make during those seconds. Most of those decisions a direct result of an upbringing I was blessed to have been given, an upbringing that many Americans don't ever have.



So why, if I can find the good in the majority of people I serve at work everyday, can't I find love for every person I encounter, for all my neighbors? Service today taught us that everyone is our neighbor-the person who lives next door, our family & friends, our co-workers, the homeless person begging for money, and the inmate on death row. EVERYBODY is our neighbor and all of our neighbors were made in the image of God.

The shocking realization? 1 John 4:20-21; If anyone boasts, "I Love God," and goes right on hating his brother or sister, thinking nothing of it, he is a liar. If he won't love the person he can see, how can he love the God he can't see? The command we have from Christ is blunt: Loving God includes loving people. You've got to love both." (The Message).



Does this mean I don't really love God? Scary huh? I'm shortchanging Him. I'm picking and choosing who I love and when I love them. If I can find the good in my professional encounters with my neighbors then I should be more than able to find the good in my personal encounters with my neighbors. I have fallen short. The good news is Jesus has saved me and my church has challenged me.


Those who are the hardest to love often reflect a character flaw of yourself or something you are afraid of becoming. It is impossible to love everyone without taking a deep look into your own heart and learning to love yourself. On the obvious, enemies are incredibly difficult to love-we should pray for them feverishly. God loves the good and the bad and is fair to everyone. We need to act like Him and spread genuine forgiveness. For everyone is made in God’s image and everyone is worthy of God’s grace and forgiveness; everyone is worthy of God’s love.

One of the most powerful parts of worship today was singing "Hosanna" by Hillsong United. A few of the powerful lyrics are below, but, you can catch the whole song here: Hosanna-.



Heal my heart and make it clean
Open up my eyes to the things unseen
Show me how to love like you have loved me


Break my heart from what breaks yours
Everything I am for your kingdoms cause
As I go from nothing to
Eternity

I want my heart to break at the things that breaks God's heart-even if I am the one with the actions that are heartbreaking. I WANT to know these things so I can heal my heart and become clean.

HOSANNA