Here for It: A Reading Plan for Ministry Leaders and Humans Investing in the Faith of the Next GenerationUkázka

“And the second is like it. . .” Wait, a second? Let’s get this right: In response to the religious leader’s question, Jesus suggests that there are two greatest commandments? Not exactly. Jesus is suggesting that they go hand in hand. That you can’t do one well without the other. You have to love God with all of yourself and love other people…as you love yourself . Ok, so we’ve heard “love God and love people” in a million different ways, but what about love yourself ? This idea might rattle some of us. At first glance, the concept of loving yourself can feel self-centered, humanistic, and even egotistical. Yet, Jesus chose to include it. It’s as though he was saying, “You can’t love other people well if you don’t know how to love yourself.” See, our religious and self-flagellating inner critics would try to shut this idea down. But maybe that’s why Jesus included it. He wanted us to remember that just like He loves us and even likes us, we should love ourselves. Even before we call out the image of God in others, we should remember that we’re made in God’s image, too. Before we give everything we have to invest in the faith and future of the next generation, we should reflect on the reality that who we are is valued and loved by God, as we are right now. Maybe Jesus included this in his response about the greatest commandment because he wanted to remind us of how important it is that we are here for ourselves. Right now, take 60 seconds and show yourself compassion. Forgive yourself for a mistake. Remind yourself of what you like about yourself. Affirm to yourself that you are valuable and loved by God, just as you are. Then, find ways to make this practice a habit throughout your week. Sometimes, we need to be here for ourselves. If we want to be here for the next generation, this is where it starts. If we want to be faithful to the greatest commandment, we have to be here to love ourselves well, too!