John 1: 1-4 (NIV) : In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it

I have searched, and I cannot find anything in the bible about understanding your neighbours, understanding God, and understanding your parents.

Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” Matthew 22:37-39

“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.”Leviticus 19:18 

I hate confrontation, and I especially dislike it when people’s moods influence the atmosphere. When they are angry, it feels like they are draining the energy and happiness from those around them, and the environment’s temperature seems to drop from normal to feeling like it’s below freezing, without any heating equipment. Usually, when I see people walking around angry, moody, and displeased, I tend to walk away or hide from them. However, when it comes to family members, it’s harder to walk away, so the house becomes an uncomfortable environment.

Recently, I was talking to God about His creation, who is also my family member, which makes me feel very, very uncomfortable when he’s angry. We’ve had our share of disagreements, mostly coming from him (not a conflict person, nor do I think I am without fault), and at some points, I made the decision to cut off every relationship with him, and anyone associated with him. I even told God I would not visit the city where he resides, but God had other plans (“A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.” Proverbs 16:9 NKJV).

To conclude, the man shifted his mood today, and the temperature dropped. I was telling God that I did not understand Him, questioning how His mood can be happy at one moment and sour the next. The still small voice replied with a command from the Bible: “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” Matthew22:37-39. The still small voice continued by saying that I was never told to “understand” but to “Love,” and the same applies to God. 

God never asked us to understand Him, but to “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. 

We try to understand our fellow humans and apply that same mentality to God, but it says in the Bible, “For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so, no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.” 1 Corinthians 2:11 NKJV. We can never fully understand our fellow humans, nor do we fully understand ourselves, because things change in our lives that we have no control over, which makes us react in ways we don’t understand.

I will be very, very honest: the hardest command in the Bible for me is to love God with all my heart, soul, might, and mind. I believe that if I love God with all my soul, heart, and mind, I will then be capable of loving my neighbours without needing to understand them first, and everything else will fall into place.

Lord, I confess that I struggle to love you, love myself, and love others. I have tried to do it by myself, and I have failed over and over and over again, and I am tired of trying to understand others so that I can come to love them. 

Lord Jesus, open any closed door and break down every comfort zone (the familiar) that is stopping me from going deeper, Lord Jesus. I lay down all anxiety, fear of disappointment, pain, and unforgiveness. Lord Jesus, like Jonah, do not let me be