Read: Matthew 22:34-40
You shall love your neighbor as yourself. (v. 39)
Why is it so hard to love ourselves? It’s very easy to find fault with our bodies: “I am not skinny enough; I have a crooked nose; I have too many wrinkles.” When we listen to the critic within us, we feel diminished. And when this happens, we compare ourselves to others. We end up feeling that we are not enough. Believing lies about ourselves prevents us from allowing God’s love to take deep root in our hearts. We become blinded to our beloved-ness. Pastor and writer Henri Nouwen said, “Becoming the Beloved means letting the truth of our Beloved-ness become enfleshed in everything we think, say, and do.”
In our reading today, a lawyer tested Jesus by asking him about the greatest commandment. Jesus answered that we are not only commanded to love God but to love our neighbor as ourselves (vv. 37-39). Loving ourselves as the beloved is important in understanding and obeying God’s commandments. If we don’t love ourselves first and see ourselves as God’s beloved, then we won’t be able to fully love our neighbor and recognize God’s beloved-ness in them.
Loving ourselves can be a challenge. But we can meet this challenge through the power of the Holy Spirit who will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:7). The Holy Spirit will help us believe the truth about ourselves—that we are loved. Do you believe this? Do you love yourself?
As you pray, ask God to help you love yourself so you can love your neighbors.
Nancy Boote, an ordained minister in the Reformed Church in America, lives in Holland, Michigan, with her husband. She serves in a variety of leadership positions within the denomination. Besides being a wife, mother, and grandmother, Nancy enjoys taking prayer walks, hiking in nature, mentoring, and has a heart for justice matters.
