Love Your Neighbor

Theme

As we pray this week, we are preparing ourselves to be the people of God by praying for our neighbors

Scriptures

Mark 12:30-31: 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.”

Titus 3:1-8: Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone. At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.

Reflect

These two passages taken individually are amazing, but looking at them together is a bit overwhelming. 

In the Mark passage my thoughts immediately go to the juxtaposition that I fall short of loving God with all my heart, soul, mind and strength yet in that light how am I to love my neighbor as myself. 

It is in the Titus passage that I am reminded that God knows I do not have the ability to do either of these. Only when I cover myself in his mercy and grace am I able to stumble towards his perfection. 

It is through his perfection that I am able to love God and my neighbors. 

Pray

Lord, continue to fill me with your mercy and grace. 

Teach me to love you with all my heart, soul, mind and strength. 

Remind me as I try to love my neighbor how you first loved me. 

Teach me to love my neighbor with your love.