HOW TO LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOU LOVE YOURSELF
The sayings below are from the bible. They are all practical examples of how to love your neighbor that anyone can do. Even people who do not believe in God can appreciate that attitudes and behaviors like these are necessary to building and maintaining healthy relationships at all levels — including government and internationally.
These sayings do not typically appear in the bible with an explanation that it is a commandment. Perhaps that is why they are so often disregarded. With or without a “thus sayeth the Lord” command, however, the benefits of obeying them are obvious to anyone — even people who do not believe in God.
Some sayings are direct quotes and some sayings are paraphrases of complete scriptures. Nonetheless, all sayings should be interpreted as commandments, laws, statutes, ordinances, precepts and judgments spoken by God because everything God says should be interpreted as a commandment, law, statute, ordinance, precept or judgment to be obeyed. Furthermore, since God is love, his words should be considered as expressions of who God is.
While reading, it is comforting to imagine what the world would be like if people would relate to one another in these kind and gentle ways. Change would not happen immediately, but eventually divisions would cease and all people would live in peace. That is exactly what God had in mind when he gave these commands.
It will be illuminating for readers to notice that Jews and Christians do not relate to all people according to God’s commands. Some Jews and Christians try to obey some of these commands with respect to their co-religionists, but usually fail in those efforts also. It is fair to say, therefore, that Jews and Christians do not accurately represent God to the world. It is also fair to say, therefore, that they break the Third Commandment.
Do not seek your own good, but seek the good of your neighbor.
Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?
Clothe yourselves with humility toward one another.
Do not commit adultery with your neighbor’s spouse.
Do not tell lies about your neighbor.
Do not steal or envy anything that belongs to your neighbor.
Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.
Do to others as you would have them do to you.
NOTE TO READERS: Some people might get hung up on the idea of obeying commandments — even if they are beneficial to you and others. If that is you, try to think of these sayings as sound principles for getting along with others.
If these sayings impress you as necessary principles for healing division and establishing unity, consider sharing this page with others. See icons below for three options: Print, PDF and Email. Sorry for the fuzzy images.
Also consider revisiting this page occasionally to remind yourself about these principles. Better yet, give people you trust permission to correct you when they observe that you are obeying these commands or have strayed from practicing them