What the Bible Says About Relationships and Money
Week of October 2, 2005
This Week’s Scripture Reading
Matthew 22:34-40
34But when the Pharisees heard that he (Jesus) had silenced the Sadducees with his reply, they thought up a fresh question of their own to ask him. 35One of them, an expert in religious law, tried to trap him with this question: 36“Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?”
37Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40All the other commandments and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”
Proverbs 4:23
23Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.
Ephesians 5:28-30
28In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man is actually loving himself when he loves his wife. 29No one hates his own body but lovingly cares for it, just as Christ cares for his body, which is the church. 30And we are his body.
Prayers for the Week:
Sunday |
Heavenly Father, thank You for this new day and new week of life! I praise You for creating me in Your image and giving me the Holy Spirit so that I may live and grow in Your grace and love. This I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen. |
Monday |
Heavenly Father, Jesus told me to love my neighbor as myself. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit right now that I may do both—love my neighbor and myself. Let me know the peace that only You can give. This I ask in Jesus’ name. Amen. |
Tuesday |
Heavenly Father, fill me with the Holy Spirit that I may guard my heart. Let it truly be the wellspring of life, not only for me but for others who need to know and experience Your truth and love. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. |
Wednesday |
Heavenly Father, it seems odd to consider loving myself, but I ask that You will empower me to do that appropriately—that I will have a “sane estimate of my own worth” and live in humility before You and others, in Jesus’ name. Amen. |
Thursday |
Heavenly Father, Fill me with Your Holy Spirit that I may be a bold witness to my neighbors today and always. Give me opportunities to tell others about Your great love for me and for them! This I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen. |
Friday |
Heavenly Father, empower me by Your Holy Spirit to love every person I meet today with the love of Jesus. Glorify Yourself in my life through everything I think, say and do. This I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen. |
Saturday |
Heavenly Father, as another week draws to a close, I thank You for your faithfulness to me and call on You to guide me in the paths of Your righteousness. Pour Your Spirit upon me that I may live for You. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. |
Background on the Text
Since we’ve already looked at Matthew 22:34-40, let’s briefly turn to Proverbs 4:23 and Ephesians 5:28-30. As we consider this week what it means to love ourselves (since Jesus commanded us to love our neighbors as we love ourselves) we turn first to our hearts. The heart is the center of life. It isn’t just a resilient and powerful muscle that pumps blood, according to the Bible it is the “wellspring of life.” If we are to have a healthy love for ourselves, it will start with protecting our hearts—ensuring that we only put into it what will honor God. Best of all when we guard our hearts, they will be a wellspring of life not only for ourselves but for others as well. The Apostle Paul drives home the importance and the natural nature of loving ourselves and the impact of that self love on our relationships with others with his advice for husbands to love their wives as they love themselves. While we don’t find many Scriptures telling us to love ourselves, these passages make it clear that unless we do, we will find it impossible to love anyone else in the way Jesus commands!
Monday
Observation: What does the text say?
Tuesday
Interpretation: What do these verses mean?
Wednesday
Application: How can I respond to the text’s insights and teachings?
Thursday
After reading and studying this text, reflect on the following discipleship growth points:
Encouraged and strengthened me by:
|
Fallen short areas
|
What will I do with these insights?
|
Friday
After reading and studying this text, reflect on the following discipleship growth points:
What did God say to me this week?
|
Share insights and growth points
|
Changed/transformed how?
|
Saturday
Reflective Thoughts