Release Date: June 3rd, 2026Love Your Neighbour
- by Glenda Ribey Rozomiak
I have been thinking recently about what it means to love your neighbour as yourself and how we show love to ourselves. Jesus tells us to “love your neighbour as yourself” (Mark 12:31), yet many of us struggle to understand what it means to love ourselves in healthy and faithful ways. Too often, self-worth becomes tied to productivity, achievement, or how much we can give away before we are exhausted. In a culture that constantly asks for more, more work, more availability, more output. This can be at work or at home. The idea of choosing rest, simplicity, or boundaries can be misunderstood as laziness or lack of ambition.
Jesus modeled that stepping away was not selfishness; it was renewal, prayer, reconnection with God and with self.
The life of Jesus tells a different story. Again and again, Jesus stepped away from the crowds. After teaching and healing, he withdrew to lonely places to pray (Luke 5:16). Before major decisions, he went to the mountains alone (Luke 6:12). After receiving difficult news, he sought quiet and solitude (Matthew 14:13). Jesus modeled that stepping away was not selfishness; it was renewal, prayer, reconnection with God and with self.
Loving ourselves well, results in the ability to love others well...
When we ignore our limits, the pressure to keep up can lead to anxiety, burnout, and a deep sense of hollowness. Loving ourselves well may mean reclaiming time, saying “no,” resting without guilt, and remembering that our value comes not from constant doing, but from being beloved children of God. I am reminded to not bake the “resentful brownies”, saying yes to baking and then resenting every ingredient as they are mixed into the bowl. A thoughtful purposeful “no” is loving and kind to ourselves and others. Loving ourselves well, results in the ability to love others well, may we model rest and rejuvenation to our communities as an act of love.
- Glenda Ribey Rozomiak is on the pastoral team at Stirling Avenue Mennonite Church