One of the commands God gives us is to “Love your neighbor as yourself”. How do we love others as we love ourselves?
There are several ways that we can show love to others. We can practice the art of listening when we are speaking to others about events in their life. To do that we need to clear our minds of selfish thoughts and truly listen to what they are saying. When we listen with our ears and our heart, we can truly be compassionate and genuine.
To show love to our neighbor we can help others in need. This doesn’t always mean giving money; it can be an act as simple as opening the door for someone who has an armful of groceries, or holding the door for a mother pushing a stroller. You can also volunteer to baby sit for a friend who has an important errand to run. Helping others does not always have to be a large complicated act, and we should be willing to do it without expecting anything in return.
Compliment rather than tear down. Your child may be learning to dress themselves and the outfit they choose is not what you had in mind. Rather than destroy their confidence with a rude comment, try complimenting them on the cute shoes and socks they chose.
Whenever you see a need that you can fulfill, do it. It could be as simple as washing the dishes when you know your spouse is tired, or even taking out the trash. There is so much that we as Christians can do to spread the word and principals of God, and it just takes a moment to share that love.
When the Bible refers to your neighbor, it doesn’t have to mean the person living next door. You neighbor can be anyone you come into contact with, friend or stranger. During the time Jesus spent on earth, he helped many people, and many of those he did not know. Although he did not know them personally, he saw a need that he could fulfill, and so he did.
When we seek to love our neighbor it can be helpful to ask ourselves, what would I want someone to do for me. God created us to love and be loved. We have so much love to give and we are loved by so many.
It is so important to teach our children this lesson at home, because in today’s society many people do not obey this command, and they no longer teach it in our public school system. By both teaching and obeying this command, we are showing the love of God to others who may not know it. This is one more way to let our light shine for God.
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