Love Your Neighbor

James 2:8 “If you really want to keep the royal law found in scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself”, you are doing right.”

            Lord, it is hard to keep this royal law. Oh, most of the time it is not hard to love ourselves.  We feed ourselves, clothe ourselves, teach and entertain ourselves, but to love our neighbors?  Now that is a different story altogether!  It is not so hard when they are nice gentle folk who do not bug us too much, but to love those who are obnoxious, loud, rude, and have loud dogs…that becomes a sacrifice.

            You, my sweet and gracious Lord, are to be our example.  You loved us enough to die for all of us, not matter how evil, sinful, and wholly unlovely and unloving!  Help me to see my neighbors through Your eyes of grace and mercy, Lord.  Help me to look beyond behavior to the hurting, lost, and broken hearts and lives of those You have placed around us.