Loving Unconditionally.

I started reading "How to Succeed at Being Yourself," by Joyce Meyer. The first chapter opened my eyes about loving other people. Joyce says she knew she was supposed to show love to others and she tried, but without success. She didn't understand why until God showed her that she didn't love and accept herself or believe God loved her.

"My problem was a lack of love. I had never received proper love in my life; therefore, I had never learned to properly love myself." She says most people do not like themselves.

I remember when I was first a Christian at 19 years old I was judgemental and critical of other people. I was that way because I believed God was always judging me and finding fault with me. Every little mistake or sin made me think God had left me and didn't love me. That was my image of God so I treated others the same way.

When I finally came to see God loves me just as I am each day, the woman who sometimes swears, gets angry, smokes, and does things she knows she shouldn't. When I finally believed He loved me in spite of all this, I could love people who were not perfect too.

"We must develop the kind of mature love that says, 'I know I need to change, and I want to change. In fact, I believe God is changing me daily, but in the meanwhile I will not reject what God accepts. I will accept myself as I am right now, knowing that I will not always remain this way."

If we can feel that about ourselves, we can feel that about others.

What Shall We Do?

When John the Baptist was preaching repentance different people came to ask him what that really meant. They were used to being told what to do by their priests, so they asked John.

The crowds asked him, "What then shall we do?"

John answered, "Whoever has two coats is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise."

Tax Collectors came to be baptized and asked, "Teacher, what shall we do?"

John said, "Collect no more than you are authorized to do."

Soldiers also asked him, "And we, what shall we do?"

John said, "Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages."
Luke 3:10-14

I found it interesting that John focused on greed and nothing else: share your clothes and food, don't steal from people, be happy with the money you have.

The priests at that time were concerned about keeping the Sabbath and obeying the laws of Moses and traditions. John went to the heart of what is most important to God; helping others and being content with what we have.

Later, when asked what was the greatest commandment, Jesus taught the same thing in saying, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is like it. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these."