To love God, we are asked to love our neighbors as ourselves. You have probably heard the idea that our relationship with God is not only vertical (between us and God), it is also horizontal (depends on how we treat those around us). We can also say that our relationship with God is not only internal, but that our internal state of mind affects others and the way we relate to them. So in a way, taking care of ourselves spiritually, leaving space to experience the peace of Christ in our own hearts, is a gift to the world, and calls us out into the world in loving ways.

This week, think about what it means for us to love ourselves – the healing required from God in order for us to love ourselves healthily, and the way this contributes to both internal and external peace.

Romans 12 is one of my favorite chapters. It begins by sharing with us how we are to become transformed into the image of Christ internally, and then details relationships between ourselves and those with whom we live and worship. Then it speaks to us about our relationships with those outside our worshiping community. In each case we must come back to our own state of being, internally with God.

How is Christ calling you to be transformed into a New Creation?

Cherice Bock – adapted from the 2010 Daily Reader