For love of God and neighbor

From today's reading:  You will show me the path of life; *

in your presence there is fullness of joy, and in your right hand 

are pleasures for evermore.  Psalm 16:11

I had trouble reading the Psalm today - I wanted to sing it.  These are the words for John Foley's song, "For You are my God."  For you are my God, you alone are my joy.  Defend me, O Lord.  As we came out of church one Sunday, a young man asked me, "I thought I heard him say we are to love God first above everything else.  My father always taught me that you should love family above every thing else."  

The young man had heard correctly.  We are to love God above all, because it is in God's perfect love that we learn to love family and others more perfectly.  Without God's perfect love, other love runs the risk of becoming possessive or even obsessive.  Loving God first keeps all else in perspective.

Another verse says, "You give marvelous comrades to me."  God does place wonderful people in our path to accompany us on our journey through life.  These are the ones that we are to love with the love born of God.  And if we allow him to, God will guide us through the maze that we call life.  We don't have to struggle with all the questions that arise, God will be with us and lead us to right decisions and actions.

Loving God, help us to love those around us more perfectly remembering that we are all made in your image.  Open our eyes and ears to following your leading to reach out in love to a broken and hurting world.  Amen.