Shana Leaigh’s Blog

Mark 12:31 The second is this: you shall love your neighbors as yourself. There is no other commandments greater than these.

Matthew 22:39 And the second is like it, you shall love your neighbor as yourself.

We had to first to love ourselves in Christ Jesus BEFORE we could love others. We have to know how to love the correct and biblical way BEFORE we could have others.

We have to learn to foster a deep relationship with God and understand ourselves before we can have a deep, mutually beneficial relationships with friends, family, and the people that we encounter every day. We must show His love through us – His Temple – to others.

One of the ways to form this deep relationship with others is to spend some time with each of the people you a relationship with. One way spent time with others is through having dinner with them.

Spouse

Children -teach about God; train them in what God wants them to do; love them

Parents and Siblings

Extended family

Church family

Community

Respectful, Social, Hospitality, Prayer for..

Mark 12:31 The second (commancment) is this: you shall love your neighbors as yourself. There is no other commandments greater than these.

Matthew 22:39 And the second is like it, you shall love your neighbor as yourself.

Jesus said in both of these verses that the second greatest commandment is loving others AS YOU LOVE YOURSELF. How can we love others if we don’t know how to love ourselves? But we are not love ourselves in the world’s way. We are not to be self-centered, prideful, or arrogant, etc. We are to love ourselves from God’s perception of us — Who we are in Christ!! In other words, are we part of His body? Are we His family? This is how we are to see ourselves!! A part of the greatest family on earth — God’s FAMILY!!

Romans 8:16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirits that we are the children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified with Him.

The Holy Spirit witnesses to us that we are the children of the Living God. We are apart of God’s family. We are His heirs of the Kingdom of God here on earth and into eternity. We are children of the King of the Universe!!!

1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may declare the goodness of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. 10 In times past, you were not a people, but now you are the people of God. You had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 

We are a chosen people from the foundation of the world. God chose us to be His people at this moment of time. We are a royal priesthood. We are children of the King, therefore we are royal. We are the body to the High Priest Jesus, therefore we are of the priesthood. And because of Jesus, we have the authority of God as His children to decree and declare His Word into the atmosphere. We are God’s chosen people (Israel and the Church) and He loves each one of us. How do I know that? Because He sent His Son Jesus to die for our sins and to heal the consequences of those sins. Now we are in the family of God.

1 Corinthians 6:19 What? Do you not know that your body is the Temple of the Holy Spirit, Who is in you, Whom  you have received from God, and that you are not your own? 20 You were brought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s. 

We are to love ourselves as God sees us. He sees us cleansed because of the Lord Jesus Christ and His sacrifice on the Cross. We were bought by the precious shedded Blood of the Lamb of God which is Jesus and we are no longer our own, We are the property of the Lord Jesus Christ, God the Father, and the Holy Spirit. He sees us as His Temple, where He dwells and resides here on earth.

1 Peter 1:18 For you know that you were not redeemed from your vain way of life inherited from your fathers with perishable things, like silver or gold; 19 but with the precious Blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and with out spot. 

We are redeemed and cleansed by the precious Blood of the Lamb of God, Christ Jesus, the Son of God. Because we are God’s Temple we are to guard ourselves from all sin. we are to walk in Jesus’ righteousness NOT our own, resist the devil and his temptations, and fill our Temple with holiness by not sinning.  

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any be in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things have passed away. Look, all things have become new. 

How do all things become new? We let the Lord God have His way in cleansing us – His Temple and we let Him take out ALL the trash of sins and the consequences of them. And then heal those areas. This is in the soul realm.

Our job is to allow God to have His way in the soul realm. Let Him and Him only take control of the soul. We that are His are no longer alive without Him. Therefore, He is alive in our souls and bodies. Our job is to take care of the cleansed Temple and not let the devil back in and screw everything up! We follow the leading and guiding of the Holy Spirit and walk where He tells us to go.

Our earthy job taking care of the Temple is by doing these tasks: 

Personal Hygiene (Beauty – inside and outside)

Eating Right God’s Way – His nutrition – Biblical nutrition as stated in His Word in Leviticus and Deuteronomy.  We will have a more detail discussion later about this topic.

Exercising to maintaining a strong healthy body, such as walking and mild weight training. 

Proverbs 31:17 She clothes herself with strength, and strengthens her arms.

We need to be strong in our bodies in order to be strong to do the things that the Lord God has asked us to for Him and His Kingdom.

Take Vitamins and Supplements if needed

1 Corinthians 10:31 Therefore, whether you eat, or drink, or whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God.

We are to glorify God with our eating, drinking, and the things we do. We are to keep ourselves holy and set apart for God’s service and pleasure; not for our own.

Rest for the Day / Sleep for 6-8 hours

Genesis 2:1 So the heavens and the earth, and all their hosts, were finished. 2 On the seventh day God complete His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. 3 Then Gid blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it He had rested from all His work which He had created and made.

Exodus 31: 12 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 13 Speak also to the children of Israel, saying, You must surely keep My Sabbaths for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations that you know the I am the Lord who sanctifies you. 14 You shall keep the Sabbath, for it is holy to you. Everyone who defies it will surely be put to death. For whoever does any work on it, that person will be cut off from among his people. 15 Six days may work be done, but on the seventh is the Sabbath of complete rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day will surely be put to death.

Mark 6:30 The apostles met with Jesus and told Him everything both what they had done and what they had taught. 31 Then He said to them, Come away by yourselves to a remote place and rest a while, for many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. 32 So they went into a remote place privately by boat.

The Sabbath day of rest is important for man to stop and rest from all work. We need this rest to reset our bodies and our souls for the coming activity of the next week. On the Sabbath we are also to sit and be in God’s Presence not for His sake but for ours. It is the sake of our souls that we need to be in the Presence of God. We need to be connected to the Lord God in order to do the things that please the Lord God.

Mental – Confess our sins to the Father in Jesus’ Name, Pray for a Sound mind and for the mind of Christ

One way to be holy is to confess our sins to the Lord God and ask for His forgiveness.

Psalm 32:5 I acknowledge my sin in You, and my iniquity I did not conceal. I said, I will confess my transgressions to the Lord, and You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah.

Emotional – We should be at peace with God the Father and enjoy the fruit of Holy Spirit

Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 meekness, and self-control; against such there is no law. 24 Those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and lusts. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

Once we confess our sins, we are to walk with the Spirit to help us to stay on the path God has illuminated for us to walk on. We are to crucify our flesh – our bodies and souls – from the passions and the lusts they have. We are to give the Lord God these bodies and souls in order to be our Lord. He is suppose to be the One in control.

Journaling – We should write about what we talk to God about and His responses. We should write about our emotions and our mental state for our mental health. We also journal about our Gratitude and Thanksgiving to God for anything and everything.

If we cannot be healthy in body or mind how can you be used by God? No connection with God causes problems for there is no life coming though from the Vine which is Jesus to you the branch if there is no connection or fellowship with God.

1 John 2:15 Do not love the world, if anyone loves the world the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world- the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life – is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17 The world and its desires are passing away, but the one who does the will of God lives forever.

1 Corinthians 9:27 But I bring and keep my body under subjection, lest when preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.

We are not to love the world and what it promises to us. We are to be the Father’s possession and property, having nailed our lust and pride to the Cross of Jesus. We are to put our bodies under subjection of the Lord Jesus and let Him have control.

Matthew 16:24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, If anyone will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul?

If we truly want to be Jesus’ disciples, then we must deny ourselves meaning we give the Lord Jesus control of us. We take up our cross – our sacrifice – and follow the Lord wherever He leads. Following Jesus profits our souls, but if we gain the world, we will lose our soul.

In conclusion, believe in what God has said about you, for He loves you… He means it! We need to take care and be good to ourselves in order to be good and faithful disciples for the Lord Jesus Christ.

The first Three area of a Godly life In the Kingdom of God are based on the Two Greatest Commandments according to Jesus.

Matthew 22:35 One of them, who was a lawyer, tested Him by asking Him, 36 Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law? 37 Jesus said to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.

Mark 12:28 One of the scribes came and heard them reasoning together. Perceiving that Jesus had answered them well, he asked Him, Which is the first commandment of all? 29 Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord. 30 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment. 31 The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.

These two are based on the Old Testament verses in Deuteronomy and Leviticus.

Deuteronomy 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God. The Lord is one! 5 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be in your heart. 

Leviticus 19:18 You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord. 

the Lord God; Love Him first and foremost. We were given this as a Commandment. Jesus said this is the Greatest Commandment. We need to put God first in our lives no matter what. We need to talk to our God. Prayer is a communication between God and you; it nurtures our trust in Him; it guides us in the path of righteousness; it assists in our relationship with God. It is NOT optional!! Study prayers in the Bible to learn how to pray. 

How do we love Him, who is Love? We connect ourselves to Him through a vital connection through the shed Blood of the Lamb of God. Through this connection, we know that He hears us in our prayers. This connection is talked about in John 15, where the Lord Jesus is called the Vine and we are the Branches. Being Lord God-centered means staying attached to the Lord God, just like a branch is attached to the vine in order to live and be fruitful. (John 15:5) The key to staying attached to the Vine is to love others. (John 15:10, 12) 

John 15:1 I am the true vine, and My Father is vinedresser. … 5 I am the Vine, you are the branches. He who remains in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit. For without Me you can do nothing. 6 If a man does NOT remain in Me, he is thrown out as a branch and withers. And they gather them and throw into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you remain in Me, and My Words remain in you, you will ask whatever you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. 9 As the Father loved Me, I also loved you. Remain in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will remain in My love, even as I have kept My Father’s commandments and remain in His love. 11 I have spoken these things to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. 12 This is My commandment: that you love me one another, as I have loved you.

Without this connection, we can do nothing!!!

Through this connection to Jesus our Vine we get eternal life. But to get this eternal life, we must believe on HIM as the Son of God and have Him in our lives. 

John 3:36 He who believes in the Son has eternal life. He who does NOT believe the Son shall NOT see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.

1 John 5:12 Whoever has the Son has life, and whoever does NOT have the Son of God does NOT have life.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.

To maintain this connection, we must Listen to The Word, which is Jesus Christ. We must read it out loud to ourselves or listen to someone preaching or just reading. 

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were created through Him, and without Him nothing was created that was created. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of mankind. 

Isaiah 55:3 Incline your ear, and come to Me. Listen, so that your soul may live, and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.

Deuteronomy 8:1 You must carefully keep all the commandments that I am commanding you today, so that you may live, and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the Lord swore to your fathers. 2 You must remember that the Lord your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you, and to prove you, to know what was in your heart, whether you keep His commandments or not. 3 He humbled you and let you suffer hunger, and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man does not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord.

Matthew 4:4 But He answered, It is written, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.”

Luke 4:4 Jesus answered him, It is written, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word of God.”

Joshua 1:8 This Book of the Law must NOT depart from your mouth. Mediate on it day and night so that you may act carefully according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way successful, and you will be wise. 

When reading, listen to the Holy Spirit to guide you into the Truth.

John 14:6 I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Counselor, that He may be with you forever.

Reading or listening to the Word causes faith to grow. This faith causes you to trust in the Lord God. Reading the Word and Praying to Him then listening to Him, I call Dad Time. Refuse to miss a day. 

TASKS within this Area:

DAILY: Trusting in the Lord God, Dad Time (Refuse to miss a day); Prayer Walk – Journal (to write about your feelings or prayers are new and if they are fulfilled + what did Dad say today?) & Book; Reading and Meditation of His Word – Reading Plan (Psalm & Proverb per day)- Pray as you approach His Word; Personal Communion

WEEKLY: Family Communion, and Church Communion if offered.

MONTHY: Communion at least month at a local church

QUARTERLY:  Evaluate how you are doing with God; Are you obeying Him fully; Are you humbling yourself to God; Are you drawing close to Him

Jesus is the Word of God and the Bread of Life.

Holy Spirit is the dove of peace and Living Waters

There are seven areas of a Godly life and we should give God control of them DAILY!!  When God is in control of all these areas then we are balanced; we have a healthy Spirit, Soul, and Body.  This balanced and God-controlled life is what is needed to live in the Kingdom of God.

THIS IS KINGDOM LIVING!! 

Living a balanced life in all Seven Areas is the true definition of Biblical health of the spirit, soul, and body that is purposely living in the Kingdom of God. This life of Purposely Living in the Kingdom means to be God centered and focused on Him and letting Him have control over your life. He is your Lord. You do what He wants to do; NO MATTER WHAT.. We are focused on Heavenly things while still living on earth.

I have designed a planner that will help you focus on the Lord God while living purposely in the Kingdom in each area of your godly and holy life.. There is a Booklet or eBook with the Planner discussing the whole process of living a Kingdom of God controlled life. There is also a list of tasks for each Area for you to utilize in your planner..

Seven Areas of a Godly Life

These seven areas are: 1) Relationship with God; 2) Relationship with Self 3) Relationship with Others; 4) My Dominion; 5) My Stewardship; 6) My Ministry; 7) My Worship and Communion with God

The first Three are based on the Two Greatest Commandments according to Jesus.

Matthew 22:35 One of them, who was a lawyer, tested Him by asking Him, 36 Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law? 37 Jesus said to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.

Mark 12:28 One of the scribes came and heard them reasoning together. Perceiving that Jesus had answered them well, he asked Him, Which is the first commandment of all? 29 Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord. 30 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment. 31 The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.

These two are based on the Old Testament verses in Deuteronomy and Leviticus.

Deuteronomy 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God. The Lord is one! 5 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be in your heart. 

Leviticus 19:18 You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord. 

The next Three are the earthly aspects of life. Dominion is the area that God placed you into; such as your home. You have dominion or control over your home and what goes on there under the Lord God’s authority; and if you are married, your husband’s authority.

Stewardship is the control of the resources the Lord God has given you. What have you done with the money He has provided you? What have you done with the home He has provided? What have you done with all of the materials things that the Lord God has provided?

Ministry is the calling God has placed upon you. Are you a prophet? A teacher? A writer? A chef? A business woman? Are you doing what He has called you to do?

These Three areas are the earthly aspects of life. These first six areas of a godly life is the completion of man. If this is where we stop, then we are in a soulish realm and not allowing the spirit man to connect with God. We are NOT truly balanced and complete.

The final Area is our worship and communion at the Lord God’s table. This is the completion of ourselves in and with God. This is where we let the inner man – our spirit- just take over and we are worshipping in spirit and in truth while in the presence of God. This should be practiced daily and NOT just on Sunday morning. This is where we really should start our day and let God take control of our lives. This is the submission of ourselves to Him. This is where we deny ourselves and take up our cross and follow Him.

Proverbs 20:27 The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord, searching all the inward parts of the heart.

The Lord God is searching our inner parts of our hearts to see what we really are about. Are we truly His children? Or are we faking it like we do to the world because we don’t want to get hurt? The Lord God knows all things. He even knows what we are thinking! How is that possible; that He knows so much about us?

Genesis 2:7 Then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living being.

Psalm 139: 13 You (God) brought my inner parts into being; You wove me in my mother’s womb. 14 I will praise You, for You made me with fear and wonder; marvelous are Your works, and You know me completely. 15 My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in secret, and intricately put together in the lowest parts of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw me unformed, yet in Your book all my days were written, before any of them came into being. 17 How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! 18 If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand; when I awake, I am still with You. … 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart, try me, and know my concerns, 24 and see if there is any rebellious way in me, and lead me in the ancient way.

The Lord knows so much about us because we made us! We created us inside our mother’s womb. He blew His breath of life into each one of us and we became living beings. He knew us BEFORE we were born!! He searched us and tried us to see if there was any rebellion in us or would we follow His Spirit and accept His way through His Son Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:23 May the very God of peace sanctify your completely. And I pray to God that your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless into unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We are beings with a spirt, soul, and body. We are triune being. Our spirit was born again when we accepted Jesus as the Christ, Lord, Savior, and Redeemer of us. Our soul is our personality – mind, will, and emotions. Our body houses both our spirit and our soul. God sanctifies us or sets us apart for Himself. The sanctification is the process of becoming holy like the Lord God.

2 Corinthians 4:16 For this reason we do not lose heart: Even though our outward man is perishing, yet our inward man is being renewed day by day.

Since the sin of the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, our outward man – our body – has been perishing. Why? It is the effects of the curse from the original sin. When the spirit man is renewed daily by reading the Word of God we can slow down the effects. We can even stop the effects on a personal level when we confess for ourselves the original sin and ask for forgiveness from the Lord God. 

Ephesians 4:22 that you put off the former way of life in the old nature, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and renewed in spirit of your mind: 24 and that you put on the new nature, which was created according to God in righteousness and true holiness.

In order to live a Kingdom life in God, we have to stop doing the things we done BEFORE we were saved. Stop in the old nature in yourself and renew your mind – your thinking. Take on the new nature of Jesus Christ and a Kingdom life that is in righteousness and holiness.

Phil 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are honest, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue, and if there is any praise, think on these things. 

We are to think on the good things of life according to God NOT the world.

Psalm 29:2 Give to the Lord the glory of His name; worship the Lord in holy splendor. 

Because God, we all are here. We are no accidents. God had made a conscientious decision to create each of us. And because of that, we must give God the glory due to His Name and worship Him in holy splendor!!

The Christian Life

To live the Christian life, we should be holy. But how?

Romans 12:1 I urge you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service of worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God. 

We are to present ourselves – our bodies- to God as a living sacrifice daily upon His holy Altar. We are to be transformed in our minds by His holy Word. We are to submit to the holy Lord God and no other.

1 Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who according to His abundant mercy has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to and incorruptible and undefiled inheritance that does not fade away, kept in heaven for you, 5 who are protected by the power of God through faith for a  salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. … 13 Therefore guard your minds, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ, 14 As obedient children do not conduct yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance. 15 But as He Who has called you is holy, so be holy in all your conduct, 16 because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”

We come into the Christian life when we accept Jesus as our Lord, Savior, and Redeemer. This coming into the Kingdom of God is called new birth for it is then our spirit man is reborn because of the Blood of Jesus. We are now children of God and His heirs. Our inheritance of His Kingdom never goes away. We are protected by our Father God. Knowing this we are to guard our minds with reading and believing in His Word – the Bible. We are to let the Word transform us so that we do not do the former sinful things that we once did. The Holy Spirit seals us in the Kingdom of God. Let us be holy as God is holy.

Requirements from God

Deuteronomy 10:12 And now, Israel, what do the the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord they God, to walk in all His ways, and to love Him, and to serve they Lord thy God with all they heart with all thy soul. 13 To keep the commandments of the Lord, and His statutes, which I command thee this day, for thy good?

Micah 6:8 He hath shewed thee. O man, what is good: and what doth the Lord required of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God.

We are to love love God and serve Him only. We are to keep His commandments. We are to walk humbly before Him and His ways.

Deuteronomy 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: 5 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

Leviticus 19:18 Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself: I am the Lord.

Matthew 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the lord thy God with all they heart, and with all they souls and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it; Thou shall love thy neighbor as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.

Mark 12:29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all they commandments is, Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord. 30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all they heart, and with all they soul, and with all they mind, and with all they strength: this is the first commandment. 31 And the second is like namely this , Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

We are to first love the Lord God with every fiber of our being – spirit, soul, and body. Then we are to love our neighbors like we love ourselves. We are to love ourselves before we can learn to love others.

Romans 13:8 Owe no one anything, except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not give false testimony, You shall not covet, and if there are any other commandments, are summed up in this saying, You shall love your neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

We are to be loving creatures that God created. We are to love God our Creator, love ourselves, and love others. We are to love ourselves in the context and parameters of Jesus and His Cross. We are NOT to be selfish, we are to be giving creatures. We are to freely give to others what we have received.

Abundant and Eternal Life

John 10:9 I am the door. If anyone enters through Me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief does not come, except to steal and kill and destroy, I came that they may life, and that they may have it more abundantly. 11 I am the good Shepherd. The good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. 

John 11:25 Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, yet shall he live. 26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do You believe this?

John 14:6 Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. 

1 John 5:12 Whover has the Son has life, and whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

The abundant and eternal life that a Christian receives comes as a free gift when they accept the Son of God Jesus as the Christ – the Messiah.

Being In The Spirit 

Galatians 5:16 I say then, walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh, These are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 

Galatians 5:24 Those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and lusts. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 

Choosing to be walking and living in the Spirit is the way to achieve a happy and abundant life here on earth and into eternity.