A Mark 12:31 Love

Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Mark 12:30-31 holds the two greatest commandments … to love God with all your heart and to love your neighbor as yourself.

This scripture tells us a lot about how to treat others. It’s the basis of the golden rule; treat others how you’d want to be treated.

Are you living it out?

When you drop in on a friend and her living room is scattered with toys and a days worth of dishes sit in the sink, are you judgmental or do you tell her not to worry about it.

The kids are fed and happy. You know how it is — Priorities mama!

When your girl apologizes for not putting any makeup on, don’t you tell her not to be silly; she’s still just as beautiful.

When your dressing rooms are side by side and a pair of jeans make her cry — do you shout over the divide that no size number determines her worth and you’re down to powerwalk this mall as often as she’d like.

#shoppingismycardio

When she tells you her dreams don’t you get excited, encourage her, support her?

If she messes up, comes short, fails … don’t you still love her, support her, encourage her?

If she lets you down … do you forgive her? Give her grace, patience, the benefit of the doubt, another chance?

Do you belittle her, doubt her, limit her, judge her, insult her?

Woman, read this carefully and hear this – You are her.

“Love your neighbor as yourself,” – We hear that and know that it means to extend grace, patience, kindness, forgiveness; to speak kindly and to do no harm.

We know what it means and yet we’ve lost it on ourselves …

Now – can we love ourselves as well as we’d love our neighbor, our friend…

Can you forgive yourself for your shortcomings?

Will you encourage yourself to go after your lofty dreams?

Stop apologizing if you didn’t want to put on makeup. Can you recognize the beauty in your own bare face?

Can you marvel at every freckle God placed; the flecks of colors like a galaxy in  your eyes and every wrinkle – a sign of the times you spent laughing?

Can you get a pass for a sink full of dishes because you kept the kids alive.

You are wonderfully made!

Every part of you is wonderfully made and worthy of love, the parts of you squeezing into those jeans, the part that leaves the toys in the floor,  the part that wants to try something new, the part that doubts, the part that has broken promises to herself, the part that’s resilient, that part that gives her best to her family and friends, the part that wants to fill her own cup …

You are wonderfully made and unimaginably loved by God – now go love yourself.