Healthy Relationships - Love Your Neighbor (Daily Devotional)

Hello everyone. The word of God is a lamp and a light in our lives and not only does it help us to know God better, but it also gives us practical insights that we can live by. And so today, we will talk about how we can have healthy relationships. As we look at our lives, we know that we are connected with people and these are the instructions of Jesus. When Jesus was asked about the great commandment that God had given to the people, He spoke of these things. So, let me quickly read to us Matthew chapter 22 and I'll read from verses 37 to 40. ‘Jesus said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind." This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.’ Apostle Paul once again in his writing to the Galatians, reiterates the need for us to love one another. In Galatians chapter 5, verse 14 he says, "For all the law is fulfilled in one word. Even in this you shall love your neighbor as yourself." Nobody is an island. We have to relate with people through the journey of our lives and so it's important for us to receive God's love in our hearts for them. Now in everyday situations, we are working together with people, we learn from other people, we have gifts from God that we are supposed to use to serve people. We are called to disciple people and that is what ministry is all about. One might say that I have a right relationship with God and that's enough, I don't really have to think about my relationship with people but then scriptures encourage us to not only walk righteous before the Lord but to also have right relationships and have righteous relationships. We can develop this love for people and honor them in our lives. So, the two commandments that Jesus spoke of to the person who questioned him, one was to love God, the other is to love our neighbor. Who is our neighbor? Anyone that the Lord brings into our lives, it could be people in our own family, it could be someone that we meet in some particular occasion, but anyone who is in need, anyone that the Lord may want us to minister to, we could consider them our neighbor and walk in God's love for their lives. Now, why is it important for us to walk in love with people? Because that is one of the requirements for us to nurture a healthy relationship. Many scientific studies show that when people can have healthy relationships, they feel more fulfilled and they can also walk into definite personal growth in many ways. There are many other aspects to this but today we've seen the words of Jesus where He has called us to not only love Him with everything that we have in our being but to also love people around us. So, let's pray together and ask God to help us love people and to love our neighbor. Father, we thank you for the principles in your word. Though, sometimes these truths have been repeated to us and seem so very normal, it's powerful. Help us to receive your word and to work on serving people, ministering to people and honoring people whom you have brought into our lives. We thank you that even as we do this, that our relationships will be blessed and that even we will experience great satisfaction and personal growth, in Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Thank you for tuning in to Living Supernaturally, for more resources to strengthen your spiritual walk, please visit apcwo.org.