I give you a new command: Love each other. You must love each other as I have loved you. John 13:34

     Hello. Today's blog will cover the topic of loving each other. Many of us only love our family and friends. We usually ignore or disrespect people that we do not know or care about. John 13:34 states that we must love one another as God has loves us. I am almost certain that there is no human being on Earth who demonstrates that they love EVERYONE at ALL times. We all have been in a situation as to where we really disliked someone. We dislike them so much that we use the word "hate" when showing our hostility for that person. If God can love us, why is it so hard for us to have that same love for each other?
     Most of us love our mothers, but would you treat a stranger the same way you treat your mother? Of course not! Just because you are not familiar with a particular person, does not mean that you cannot love them.We are all creations of God and He loves each of us equally. The Greek word for love, "phileo" is mentioned in the Bible. Philia is the English term for phileo. Philia love is known as brotherly love. That is the love of best friends. God intended for all of us to have philia for everyone that we encounter. God did not want for us to show hatred or animosity towards each other. Unity is very important in society today. If the people of the world cannot come together, this world will remain a violet place.
      Loving your peers is not as hard as most of us think. There are steps that must be followed before we can fully and sincerely love one another. Starting with Jesus and yourself is the key to loving others. Love Jesus unconditionally. Do not deny Him or He will deny you. Once you form a sturdy relationship with Jesus, you will automatically become to love and respect yourself. After the full respect and love is present, others will love and respect you as well. Eventually, you notice the gratitude delivered to you from the people in your environment and it will be easy to return that same love and respect to them. Then, the compassion between you and the one you love will be mutual.
    Appreciation and trust are huge factors in loving someone. We love our family and friends because we appreciate the things that they do and sacrifice for us. We trust them because we know that they care about our well being and have our best interest at heart. We cannot possibly appreciate a stranger unless they have done something for us. We also cannot trust a stranger because we do not know them and we are not confident that they will not do anything to harm us. This is why appreciation and trust should not determine why we love someone. Loving them just because God created them is the way we should love. We should not expect no more than love from one another. If we thank God for ALL of His creations, it will be easier to love everyone. Now is the time to appreciate God's love and return it by loving all people that he created and put in your presence.