Fellowship Hall

Little Johnnie makes the statement, God said that we are to love ourselves, to his friend James, as he is combing his well-groomed hair.  I like that idea.  That means I should be number one.  James quickly replied, I'm sure that you are taking that out of context.  Let's go to the source, The Holy Bible.  This is our book of knowledge about God and the history of His relationships with his people.  Mark 12:31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.  There is none other commandment greater than these.  Galatians 5:14  For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself,  Mark 12:29-30 And Jesus answered him, the first of all the commandments is; Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.  You see Johnnie, we do need to love ourselves, but we are not to put ourselves above others.  As it says in the scriptures above, we have to love God above all others.  This means we should put God first.  Let him sit on the throne of our hearts, so to speak, then we are able to love others as we love ourselves.  James, do you mean I can't be number one?  Really Johnnie.  We can't be self-centered.  God intended for us to be members of one another.  Ephesians 4:25 Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor: for we are members one of another.  Do we have to love everybody?  Yes Johnnie.  We are to love people, not what they do, or have done.  All people are made in the image of God.  Remember, when we have God's love, we can love others.  We are to love the unlovable because God enables us to do so.  If people hurt us or wrong us, we must forgive them because He has forgiven us.  He remembers our frame.  He made us from dust and helps us in our weaknesses.