BY PASTOR DORAL PULLEY
We are called to Love God, Love Ourselves and Love Everyone Else in that order (Matthew 22:34-40). It is just that simple! Love is more than talk; it is action. “Let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deeds and in truth (I John 3:18).”
We demonstrate our love for God through the Seven Spiritual Disciplines of prayer and meditation, fasting and releasing, praise and worship (individual and corporate), reading and studying the scripture, stewardship (tithing our time, talents and treasure), fellowship with positive people and witnessing/sharing our testimony with others. We demonstrate our love for ourselves through the Eight Self-Care Strategies: diet, intimacy, rest, exercise, check-ups (doctors and dentists), treating ourselves, outward appearance and recreation.
Everyone is our neighbor. Every man is our brother. Every woman is our sister. Therefore, we demonstrate our love for others through the Nine Neighbor Networking Principles:
- Mutual Respect (Luke 6:31)
- Acceptance (Romans 13:8)
- Communication (Colossians 3:16)
- Openness (Philippians 4:8-9)
- Honesty (I Timothy 2:2)
- Forgiveness (Luke 11:4)
- Sharing (Luke 6:38)
- Unity (Ephesians 4:13)
- Equality (Galatians 3:28)