God says that when we look out for others, He will look out for us, as in God's two great commandment for us.
Mark 12:29-31
29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
You cannot say you Love God if your actions are hateful to anyone.
1 John 4:20
Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.
We need to pray for those who persecute us that they will see the light, and make the choice to change toward the good.
Romans 12:14
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
With sacrifice comes remembrance as in the wonderful gift and sacrifice by Jesus when He shed blood on the cross for all our sins and cleansing us from all unrighteousness each time we partake in the celebration of the most Holy Eucharist.
Luke 22:19
And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”
In respecting someone’s boundaries, they will be more inclined to converse and they will be much more receptive to what we have to say.
Colossians 4:6
Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
We are to love the people around us. We are meant to love what comes from God in them. Everything we do that is of some benefit to another person or that gives another person happiness and joy is loving our neighbour. Everyone is special to God and are God's beloved. The love we know God has for ourselves is also the love God also has for the person beside me, in front of me, behind me, for my neighbour who goes to a different church or of a different belief, for the people I may not particularly like, and the people who may not particularly like me. When we love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, and love our neighbour as ourselves, we become more like God and are filled with the light of God. God has a way of getting us into the habit of loving and serving others. If we stick with it, in time that service will become its own reward.
We should pray that we all can learn daily on how to love even more then the previous day. By loving God and our neighbours, we will experience something of heaven right here on earth.
Luke 10:25-37
The Parable of the Good Samaritan
25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”
27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’”
28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbour?”
30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he travelled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’
36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
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