Day 5 - A Love for Your Neighbor
Day 5 - A Love for Your Neighbor
Read: Leviticus 19:9-18; Luke 6:27-36; 10:25-37; Gal 6:1-10
Love your neighbor. From Moses to Jesus to Paul, it is a persistent theme through the Scriptures. It reflects God’s design for us. We were made to be in relationship with God and others. We were made to love God and love our neighbor. The temptation of our hearts is to limit who we love, but Jesus will not allow it. In fact, Jesus shattered this notion when he called us to even love our enemies. Nor will He allow love to be a mushy sentiment. Jesus spells out what it means to love in Luke 6:27-28: we love through doing good, through how we speak, and through prayer. In the verses that follow (Luke 6:29-32), Jesus shows us that love is costly, generous, and intentional. It does not merely do enough to see polite. Love is always sacrificing self on behalf of someone else. In Galatians 6:10, Paul puts it this way, “So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.”
All of this sounds good, but what does it really look like to love our neighbors? There are numerous ways you can seek to do this today, but consider the following possibilities:
Get to know your neighbors by name and pray for them.
Look and listen for the needs of those around you, then act. Co-worker stressed out at work, bring them a cup of tea or coffee and let them know you are praying for them. Your neighbor lost a loved one, offer to bring them a meal or pick up their mail while they are out of town.
Surprise someone with kindness
Are you good at something? Offer to do it as a blessing to someone.
Celebrate special occasions with other people.
Similarly, invite co-workers and neighbors to celebrate special occasions with you.
Drop off a treat just because.
Getting a cup of coffee, bring an extra one for a friend or co-worker.
As you seek to love your neighbor never forget why we do it. Ultimately, we love others, including our enemies, because God loved us by showing us mercy while we were His enemies.
Consider Romans 5:6–10:
For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.
Let’s love our neighbors as God has loved us!
Prayer Points:
Pray for your neighbors by name or that you would have opportunities to get to know your neighbors.
Pray for our community partners—that God would provide for them as they seek to meet needs in our community (Hope Clinic, Peace Neighborhood Center, Alpha House, Delonis Center, Sienna Women’s Health).
Pray for our community and those who serve it (teachers, fire fighters, police officers, elected leaders).
Pray that we would be known as humble servants in our community and that, through displaying the gospel in our service, we would have opportunities to declare the gospel.