Back to School 
Pause
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
Matthew 22:37-39 (NIV)
My soul is the essence of who I am, my very being. It is the boundless, timeless, passionate part of me. It is my authentic spiritual self.
What does it mean to honor my authentic spiritual self today?
What does it mean to love God with my soul?
Listen
Be happy in your hope, stand your ground when you’re in trouble, and devote yourselves to prayer. Contribute to the needs of God’s people, and welcome strangers into your home. Bless people who harass you—bless and don’t curse them. Be happy with those who are happy, and cry with those who are crying.
Romans 12:12-15
Think
We are made for connection. Connection with God. Connection with friends and family. And, yes, even connection with people who are difficult.
Every one of us struggles with someone whom we find challenging. Maybe they don’t like us for some reason. Maybe they are fearful and taking it out on the people around them. Maybe we don’t agree with how they see the world.
Whatever the reason, God calls us to bless even those who harass us. That doesn’t mean we have to let them hurt us. It simply means we cannot let their behavior change who we are or make us into hateful or harassing people.
God calls us to prayer and love and hope and welcome. God calls us to share the journey with all of God’s people.
Wendy Johnson
Pray
Thank you, God, for all the ways you have given me to connect with the people around me. Help me to walk with all of the people I encounter on this journey with honesty, humility, and hope. Amen
Go
Go and find that boundless, timeless, passionate part of yourself.
Go and be the person God is calling you to be.
