Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet," and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself."
- Romans 13:8-9

Why is love for others called a debt? We are permanently in debt to Christ for the lavish love he has poured out on us. The only way we can ever begin to repay this debt is by loving others in turn. Because Christ's love will always be infinitely greater than ours, we will always have the obligation to love our neighbors. Loving others as ourselves means to be actively working to see that their needs are met. Interestingly, people who focus on others rather than themselves rarely suffer from low self-esteem.
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