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TODAY’S WORD…

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Be under obligation to no one

– the only obligation you have is to love one another.

Whoever does this has obeyed the Law.

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The commandments,

“Do not commit adultery;

do not commit murder;

do not steal;

do not desire what belongs to someone else”

– all these, and any others besides, are summed up in the one command,

“Love your neighbour as you love yourself.”

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If you love others, you will never do them wrong;

to love, then, is to obey the whole Law.

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– Romans 13:8-10 (GNT)

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REFLECTION…

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Be under obligation to no one

– the only obligation you have is to love one another.

Love is a debt which can never be discharged.

We should feel that we owe this love to all people,

and though by acts of kindness we may be constantly discharging it,

yet we should feel that it can never be fully met

because there is always the opportunity to do good.

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When one commits adultery,

when one steals,

when one desires what belongs to someone else,

when one murders,

one is also breaking Christ’s new commandment: “to love one another” (Jn 13:34).

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Christ also commands us: “Love your neighbour as yourself.” (Mat 22:39)

The crux of the matter is, do we really care,

or do we simply love ourselves too much

to actually bother about truly loving others

or about disobeying God’s Law?

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PRAYER…

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My Lord and my God,

I pray

that I will not judge others

but, rather, love them like You love me.

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Grant, O Lord,

that I will never love myself

more than I love You,

and more than I love others.

Grant also that I will always shy away from breaking Your commandments

in the realisation that doing so is always an act of utter selfishness,

in complete disregard of the consequences

and of Your love for me.

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Lord, let love steer me away from sin.

Grant me self-control,

help me always love others earnestly and with a pure heart,

and give me a great desire to obey Your Laws.

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Lord,

may all I say, and do and think

reflect my deep love for You.

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Amen.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Lord, let love steer me away from sin.

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