LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR

LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR

Main Text: Mark 12:31 – And the second, like it, is this, you shall love your neighbor as yourself, there is no other commandment greater than these.

Matthew 25:40 – the king will answer them, I can guarantee this truth: whatever you did for one of my brothers or sisters, no matter how unimportant they seemed, you did for me..

Loving your brother is so important to God that He makes it a command. Love is the most powerful force in the universe. Love is the only way of fulfilling a relationship. Without Love, relationships cannot exist and without relationship, there is no need for Love. We do not Love our neighbor to be obedient to a command.

Loving other people is not just about actions but about relationship. Jesus told a story when he was asked, “who is my neighbor”? Our neighbor is not just someone who lives next to you or opposite you. It can be anyone we come across or interact with as we live, our boss or workmate, homeless man lying in the shop doorway, a person on the other end of the phone. He gave us example of a Samaritan who helped the man who had been robbed.

The Samaritan was not thinking about the commandment God gave, but he put himself in the other man’s position and his heart went out to him and he had to do whatever he could to help. Although there was no pre-existing relationship between the two men. You don’t need to know someone or be in a relationship before you help someone. Love is God’s way and His nature and we are included in that Love. Our love should not only be limited to our family and friends, but to everyone around us and people we come in contact with.

LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF Prayer: Lord, help me to empathize with strangers and to show great love to them.

BY BISHOP NGOZI DURUEKE (HE REIGNS CHAPEL INTERNATIONAL) To send your testimony, write us: mylivingwaterdevotional@gmail.com.