Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – Galatians 5:14

For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” – Galatians 5:14

I remember taking a class one semester that was a study of books. Some of the books we had to read were really complicated. There were times when I was reading, and I just didn’t really understand the plot of the book. I wasn’t trying to cheat or anything, but I just didn’t get what the book was about. So sometimes, I’d begin to do a Google search. I’d look for a summary of the chapter or the book to help me understand what I was reading.

I wasn’t trying to get out of reading the book, but the summary simply helped me better understand the material. In the same way, today’s verse tells us it’s like a summary of the law in the Old Testament. And just like the summaries I found online, this summary makes it easier to understand. When we love others, we are fulfilling the law.

So for example, we wouldn’t steal from ourselves. That would be really silly. In the same way, we wouldn’t murder ourselves. Usually, we are always looking out for our own best interests. However, this verse shows us that we should be treating other people like we treat ourselves. Loving people like this is hard work. It will take some retraining of old habits, but it’s the goal God encourages us to strive for.

If you struggle with loving others, don’t feel bad, we all do from time to time. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you. Maybe He can give you an idea for an area you can improve or show you a simple way that you can begin to love others more. Determine to let today’s verse not just be an empty suggestion, but rather the way you choose to live your life each day.