All You Need is Love.

And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself." - Matthew 22:37-39

I've been thinking a lot about the second part of this. "Love your neighbor as yourself.". I feel like these last couple of weeks the Lord has really been teaching me and calling my attention to the way we love others. I mean, this action... this sacrifice is obviously important. He says that it's second to loving the Lord. SECOND. Loving people... Loving others... Loving friends, family, neighbors, co-workers, strangers, the simple, the weak, the difficult, the proud, the sad, the happy, the crazy, etc. We are called to love them all. It's not going to be easy. Ever. It's always going to be some sort of challenge. Why? Because people are difficult. Relationships are hard. Yes, they're fun. Sometimes they are awesome. But - they'll never be perfect. They can't be.

I am difficult and crazy and sometimes hard to love. I mess up all the time. I can be insensitive and rude. I'm quick to anger and quick to speak. I am NOT to be that way! James 1:19-20 says, "Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.". Quick to hear. Slow to speak. Slow to anger. Slow to anger. SLOW TO ANGER. I'm not angry all the time. But - I do get angry and it can happen in an instant. No warning. It just happens. And - I'm told it's a little scary. I hate knowing that. I hate knowing that my anger is scary or intimidating. I want to be slow to speak and slow to anger. I want to be quick to forgive and show grace because much grace and forgiveness has been shown to me! More than anything... I want to love. I want to walk through the difficult, look the crazy and scary in the face, and still be able to say I loved them. I loved those people. It may have been hard or painful but I loved them anyways and it was worth it. Worth the tears. Worth the sacrifice. Worth it all.

Love your neighbor.

Quick to hear. Slow to speak. Slow to anger. Love.

"This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends." - John 15:12-13

Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord." To the contrary, "if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. - Romans 12:9-21