Jesus commands us to love others as we love ourselves (Matthew 22:37-39). That’s even harder than it appears on the surface because loving ourselves is something almost everyone does automatically. We feed ourselves, bathe ourselves, and even work to provide a little money for ourselves. But when it comes to loving our neighbors, well, that love is a decision.
We don’t do it automatically and it doesn’t come easy or cheap. It will cost us something. To love another means sacrificing your time, your desires, and your agenda. We abandon none of these with ease. Selfishness is something we can put on autopilot. Selflessness requires an active and repeated discipline of our will.