Devotional: You shall love your neighbor

You shall love your neighbor as you love yourself. (Matthew 22:39)

This can be viewed as the second greatest commandment and it consists of the following two parts:

1. Loving Yourself

Love yourself so that you can love your neighbor. 

To do this, practice acts of self-love or self-care like the following:

* Physical self-care like eating healthily and exercising regularly.

* Mental self-care like meditating on affirming Bible verses like I can do all things through Jesus Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13) 

* Emotional self-care like engaging in hobbies you enjoy. 

* Spiritual self-care like praying and praising God.

2. Loving Others

Loving others is the second part of this commandment and it can be exemplified by doing unto others the loving things you do for yourself. These can include the following:

* Physical other-care like cooking healthy meals for your neighbor.

* Mental other-self-care like confessing affirming Bible verses over your neighbor like In all these things we are more than a conqueror through Him who loved us. (Romans 8:37)

* Emotional other-care like engaging in hobbies that your neighbor enjoys with them. 

* Spiritual self-care like praying for your neighbor.

Therefore do not ignore fulfilling this great commandment or overlook one part of it.

Prayer

Heavenly Father I ask You in the name of Jesus to remind me to spend time loving myself and also loving my neighbors so that I can fulfill this great commandment. Amen.