The Second Great Commandment

The Second Great Commandment

The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”—Mark 12:31

After teaching our children the importance of loving God, our second priority is for them to realize they have a responsibility to interact with mankind. For some, this comes naturally. For others, it involves a much more intentional effort. Regardless of what camp your child is in, he or she needs to embrace this biblical imperative. It is not an option.

One quote we use often in our home is from President Theodore Roosevelt:

“The most important single ingredient in the formula of success is knowing how to
get along with people.”—Teddy Roosevelt

Unfortunately, this view of our fellow man is not shared by many in our culture today:

“I do not hate morning people; morning has nothing to do with it.”

“God may not be done with you yet, but I am.”

“I don’t hate people. I just feel better when they are not around.”

Social media has done little to “socialize” culture, healthily at least. Instead, it has further isolated people, challenging them to be like everyone else who does not know who they are either. Their lives are an ever-changing social construct that is as fluid gender is in our society. Our language has been deconstructed into quick abbreviations (lol, idk, tbh, etc.) that help us conserve on syllables, sobriety, and substantial thought. Sadder yet, in an age-segregated society, there is a lack of inter-generational conversation that would otherwise help us know where we are going by knowing where we have been.

While our culture continues to head toward societal atomization, we parents must be intentional in teaching our children how to be our brother’s keeper. They need to know how to love one another, serve one another, be patient with one another, pray for one another, and engage with one another. So, how does this happen?

We, of course, begin with the word of God. Our children need to see the human side of the scriptures. People have good days and bad days. We are on top of our people game one moment and in the basement the next. They need to be reminded that all they are taking to heaven is their relationship with Christ and those that they impact for Christ, starting with those who are nearest to them. After that, not much truly matters. Third, we need to remind them that sin has affected creation in every area, including our earthly relationships. It doesn’t matter if we are talking about husband-wife relationships, parent-child relationship, sibling relationships, day to day friendships, or just getting along with people in our communities as we do life.

Because we are all infected with sin, we each have insecurities, personality flaws and idiosyncrasies, scars, and fears. Of course, some have more than others which can make it a challenge to interact with them on a meaningful level. We also have a demonic realm—few people talk about this reality (Eph. 6:12; Col. 1:16; 2 Cor. 11:14)—that does all it can to provide opportunities for these aforementioned areas to be exploited in order to divide and conquer. This means we must pay special attention to our own attitudes, motives, and actions as well as show mercy to others, realizing we all fall short of the mark at times.

Finally, we need to tell our children that they should not think they are so important that people sit around thinking of ways to make their lives miserable. Everyone is busy, so they don’t have time to think about us like we do. If someone says something unkind or does something without thought, it is rarely intentional but more about a momentary lapse of judgment, a lack of discretion, immaturity, or perhaps just a bad day. When we equip our children to get along with others, we may be surprised the opportunities that will come their way both to water others and thereby water themselves. By doing so, they will fulfill the second great commandment.

Please join us in praying (and perhaps fasting) for our children’s people skills and their relationships with this month as we pray for the following. Remember, praying is an act of faith, and faith is what moves the heart of Christ our advocate.

1. Pray that God will reveal the logs in our own eyes, so we can be more self-aware. We do not want to project onto others something that has more to do with us than them.
   • You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. –Matthew 7:5
   • Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. –Phil. 3:15
2. Pray that God will enable us to demonstrate mercy to others who may carry a lot of emotional baggage and scars due to trauma and life disappointments before or even after Christ.
   • “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.–Matt. 5:7
   • Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you: break off your sins by practicing righteousness, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed, that there may perhaps be a lengthening of your prosperity.” -Daniel 4:27
3. Pray that God will give us favor with those who are in authority over us, those who walk along side of us, and any whom we have responsibility for.
   • And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him. –Luke 2:40
   • And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man –Luke 2:52
   • and rescued him out of all his afflictions and gave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who made him ruler over Egypt and over all his household. –Acts 7:10
4. Pray that God will help us think about others the way He does.
   • He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. –Luke 10:34
   • But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. –1 Thes. 2:7
5. Pray that we will grow in discernment and discretion, so we can best bless others who God sends our way.
   • And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, –Phil. 1:9
   • discretion will watch over you, understanding will guard you, –Proverbs 2:11
6. Pray that God will give us a proper balance of courage of our own convictions—to stay true to what we believe—with courage of consideration for those who think, believe, and act differently than us.
   • ²² So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. ²³ For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. –Acts 17:22,23
   • Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. –1 Cor. 16:13
7. Pray that God will enable our children to encourage and exhort their peers and family members who are struggling.
   • The Lord God has given me the tongue of those who are taught, that I may know how to sustain with a word him who is weary. Morning by morning he awakens; he awakens my ear to hear as those who are taught. –Is. 50:4
   • To make an apt answer is a joy to a man, and a word in season, how good it is! –Proverbs 15:23
   • Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. –1 Thes. 5:11
8. Pray that our children will not grow cynical when dealing with others or let down by others but will be supernaturally endowed with patience and hope.
   • With patience a ruler may be persuaded, and a soft tongue will break a bone. –Proverbs 25:15
   • with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, –Eph. 4:2
   • Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. –1 Cor. 13:7
9. Pray that our children will be filled with infectious joy.
   • These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. –John 15:11
   • May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.–Romans 15:13
10. Pray that our children will have a heart for knowledge and wisdom, so they will be prepared with an answer from a culture who has so many doubts and questions.
    • And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. –Is. 11:2
    • And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, –Col. 1:9
11. Pray that our children will not walk in fear but love and pity for a dying world.
    • fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. –Is. 41:10
    • And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, –Luke 19:41
12. Pray that we parents will age with grace, so we will be a lovely aroma to our children, grandchildren, and the world.
    • But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.–2 Peter 3:18
    • But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you. –Psalms 5:11