Loving Others

I loved Vacation Bible School as a child. I especially loved the times we would sing. One of those songs was “JOY.” “J-O-Y. J-O-Y. This is what it means. Jesus first. Yourself last and Others in between.”

I do believe the basic message in the song. We always love Jesus first. We love Him with all our heart soul, mind and strength, but the second part might be turned around a tad. Yes, I know that we are to esteem others more than ourselves but what about loving them?

In the front of my Bible I had written down this quote from Oswald Chambers, ” No love of the natural heart is safe unless the human heart has been satisfied by God first.” Love is something that is cultivated and grows. When I realize that I am loved but God, I grow to know how much I love Him. He’s always first. Then, I realize who I am. I am a child of God. When this reality sinks in then I feel safe to love others. I can love others as myself.

Why is there so much hate and division in our world? Because we haven’t done what we’ve been asked – Love God first. Learn to love myself by accepting I am a child of God. Then, I love others!