Romans 13:9
In the Law there are many
commands, such as, “Be faithful in marriage. Do not murder. Do not
steal. Do not want what belongs to others.” But all of these are summed
up in the command that says, “Love others as much as you love yourself.”
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
One
of the best – and possibly the worst – inventions to come into my life
in a while is the smart phone. This device is all in one…telephone,
computer, camera, e-reader, and more. I can shop online with it, get my
weather forecast and check local radar, receive alerts about everything
from flash floods to the latest sale at my favorite clothing store,
read dozens of newspapers and magazines, and map my next trip. If both
parties have FaceTime, it is even possible to “see” who I am talking
with while we converse. This little device that almost fits into the
palm of my hand has simplified and enhanced my life in countless
ways…and it is rarely far from my reach.
At the same time, the
phone has been a handicap, because I also spend a lot of time looking at
it…checking e-mail and social media or the local weather information.
So I will admit that we can use the phone for our benefit…or sometimes
for our detriment. Sometimes, it’s good to pick up a book or a
newspaper and read the printed word. We need to engage in one-on-one
conversations with others…and go outside and check the weather for
ourselves. The smart phone is not intended to completely replace these
things…but rather to tie them all together neatly to our advantage.
In
the same way, the command to “Love others as much as you love yourself”
is all encompassing. This doesn’t mean that we no longer care about
the Ten Commandments…or any of Jesus’ teachings in scripture. This
doesn’t replace the charge to “honor your mother and father” or to
“remember the Sabbath.” Rather, this commandment ties everything
together in one directive that serves as a checkpoint for all thoughts,
words and actions.
All we have to do is stop and ask
ourselves…”Does this demonstrate love for others? Is my thought kind
and productive? Does what I am about to say or reflect how I would want
to be treated? Would I feel loved if someone said these things to
me…or acted in this manner toward me? Am I about to honor God in XYZ?
Will it bring glory to His name and show my respect and obedience?” If
we answer in the negative to any of these questions (and a host of
others), then we have OUR answer - and a change in our attitude and
action(s) is in order.
This command to “Love others as much as
you love yourself” is something like our “Heavenly smart phone.” If we
spend even a fraction of the time focused on it as we do our physical
electronic device, we will be far better for it. Have you checked yours
today?
©2015 Debbie Robus
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