Loving myself can be a hard thing to do. Stacy and I went Christmas shopping yesterday and I waited in line, paid for my items walked out and got in the car to go to the next store. Stacy looked at the receipt and asked me if I bought both items. I told her yes and looked at it myself and realized that they only charged me for one. They were stacked and the cashier didn’t recognize that there were two. I don’t enjoy shopping all that much so I wasn’t paying much attention either. These are the points in life where we have to make important decisions. It was only a few dollars so I can easily drive off and no one will really know right? Nope, in this instance Stacy was with me but if she wasn’t then what? Jesus was asked about the most important commandment and his reply was to love God with all your heart, soul and mind and to love your neighbor as you love…..yourself. So I have to love my neighbor as I love myself. I don’t believe that I can really love anyone well if I don’t love and respect myself first. So I went back in the store, waited in line, explained what happened and paid for the other item. The cashier thanked me for being honest and I went on with my day. The world that I live in is in my heart, soul and mind. So if I lie, cheat and steal I’m going to see a world full of liars, cheaters and thieves. I want to see the good in the world and there’s a lot of good to see and it all starts with me and my decisions. I know that I did the right thing and I hope when you encounter these situations you do the same because when you look in the mirror at the end of the day you don’t want to be disappointed in the person looking back at you.
Matthew 22:36-40 New International Version (NIV)
36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[a] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.
Jesse Westfall 