Matthew 22:37-39 (NLT)
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.”
A religious leader tried to make trouble for Jesus with a gotcha question: which commandment is most important? Christ responded with a) Scripture the questioner knew well and b) the subtle implication that tricking others is not OK. Gotta love it.
Good morning, Lord. I think of times I’ve failed to love others: when I manipulated them to get my own way, or set them up for trouble, or secretly rejoiced when they tripped up. Forgive me. And the times I failed to love myself: when I mentally beat myself up over a mistake, when I hate the way I look, when I tell myself I’ll never get it right. Forgive me.
Teach me to grant others and myself mercy and grace. Teach me to love others and myself.
