Love your neighbour

You will be doing the right thing if you obey the law of the Kingdom, which is found in the scripture, ‘Love your neighbour as you love yourself.’ But if you treat people according to their outward appearance, you are guilty of sin, and the Law condemns you as a law-breaker. (verses 8, 9)

Read James 2: 1-13

In our relationship with others it’s easy to show partiality. The outward appearance of a person who is well dressed and good looking attracts us. Do you sometimes put aside the poor person in ragged clothes? Do you look at the outward appearance of people? God looks at the heart of each one of us.

To obey the law of the kingdom means that I love the Lord my God with all my heart, mind and soul. This is the first commandment. The second is to love my neighbour as I love myself. My neighbour may be rich or poor, a skilled professional worker or a common labourer. To love my neighbour is to fulfil the law of the kingdom.

May God help you to be concerned above all for the salvation of each soul. And may God lead each person to repent and believe in Jesus Christ as their only Lord and Saviour from sin.

Holy Spirit, create love in my heart for each person. Help me to be concerned for the soul as well as for the body. Amen.

by Paul Albers, in ‘Guidance for each Day’ (LCA, Openbook, 2002)

Visit the Daily Devotion archives page.