Listen

Love doesn’t do anything wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is what fulfills the Law.

Romans 13:10

Think

None of us wants to see ourselves as one who would “do wrong to a neighbor,” right? You may see yourself – relatively speaking – as a pretty good person. But have you thought of the subtle ways you might hurt others and the subtle ways they hurt you?

What would it look like to speak well of people behind their backs instead of chiming in with the juicy gossip or judgment? What would it look like to reach out and invite someone in who may not already be a part of your group? What would it look like to smile and say “hi” to people in the hall who you can tell need a friend and a kind word? What would it look like to help out around the house or the classroom, without rolling your eyes and putting it off? What would it look like to make time in the evening to check in with your siblings?

In all these little ways, you can choose the right over the wrong.

Cari Pattison

Pray

Dear God, show me the small daily things I can do to show encouragement to others – not because it’s the rule or the law but because it’s right. And remind me how good it feels inside when I show up with a generosity of spirit. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Go

Being human together can be hard.
Be gentle with yourself.
Be generous to others.

Love might require effort.
It might mean saying “no.”
It might include “I’m sorry,”
or “I don’t know.”

And when it comes down to it, loving your neighbor as yourself simply means paying attention to what you feel and need and offering the same to another person.

Go in love,
and God be with you.