Years ago at a women’s retreat someone asked me, “If I don’t love myself, do I have to worry about my neighbor?” I still feel sad when I think about it. First, let me assure you, you are loved. God loves you so much He sent His very own Son to Calvary so you can be free of sin’s curse. That’s the greatest sacrifice anyone could make for you! If God Himself loves you that much, then you are a person of great worth, and you should love yourself. That being said, those you encounter (because neighbors aren’t just the people who live next door…Jesus addressed this in the parable about the Good Samaritan, remember?) are also people of great worth. If we want to be respected and treated fairly and spoken to kindly, then we should also want to show respect, fairness, and kindness to all those we meet. I’ll be honest—I cannot do this on my own strength because some people make it harder than others. But I don’t have to rely on my own strength. When I pray, “Let me see this person through Your eyes; let me love this person with Your love,” His Spirit gives me the ability to honor my Father-God by exhibiting a loving spirit. “They’ll know we are Christians by our love…”