Jesus replied, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” – Matthew 22: 37-40

In the Merriam-Webster dictionary, empathy is defined as:

the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experiences of another. 

So when Jesus says that we are to love others as we love ourselves, He’s essentially saying that we should put ourselves in other people’s shoes and treat them the way we want to be treated.

We should be empathetic and understanding of how others feel so we can give them the love that they need. 

Because in our own lives, we need others to hold the same consideration for us and give us the love and support we need to thrive. 

This is as equally as important as loving God with all of our heart, soul, and mind. So our love for God and His law is directly intertwined with our love for other people.

When someone truly loves God, they make it a point to treat others with kindness, compassion, understanding, generosity, openness, care, and concern. 

When dealing with others, their first thoughts are not to judge or condemn, but to listen and learn.

They love indiscriminately, just the way God loves us…

So loving others the way we love ourselves is direct evidence of our love for God. 

People should feel the loving light of Christ when they’re in our presence. 

That’s what God commands, and it’s what He smiles on. 

Be blessed,

Alexia

Prayer: God, help me to shower everyone I meet with the love of Christ. Help me to be a calming, inviting, and safe presence for others. Prevent me from judging, holding on to grudges, or making others feel unwelcome. Show me how to love others the way they need to be loved. In Jesus’ Name, I pray, Amen.