HOW TO LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOURS
1. The Rich and proud Neighbour
2. The poor Neighbour
3. Different religion etc
4. Get ready to help
5. Pay your community dues timely
3. Different religion etc
4. Get ready to help
5. Pay your community dues timely
Introduction
In trying to look at the command, love thy neighbour as thyself, it will be ideal to define who, your neighbour is. Your neighbour is any person in need, whose need you can see, and meet.
In trying to look at the command, love thy neighbour as thyself, it will be ideal to define who, your neighbour is. Your neighbour is any person in need, whose need you can see, and meet.
Whether they are young or old has nothing to do with it. We are to love everyone. Love, according to this parable, is sacrificial action.
If we examine the love of God and how He blesses all mankind, then it will become clear that there should be no boundary to our love. In showing love, we give what we have, that is beneficial to the other person. We should give indeed to people who have needs, especially, people who cannot give us back in return, that's love.
Preparing to be a Good Neighbour
Everyone who seeks the good of the community should be ready to accommodate different opinions and lifestyles of people. You should also be prepared to forgive offences, as people are not at the same levels in life.
If we examine the love of God and how He blesses all mankind, then it will become clear that there should be no boundary to our love. In showing love, we give what we have, that is beneficial to the other person. We should give indeed to people who have needs, especially, people who cannot give us back in return, that's love.
Preparing to be a Good Neighbour
Everyone who seeks the good of the community should be ready to accommodate different opinions and lifestyles of people. You should also be prepared to forgive offences, as people are not at the same levels in life.
Every child of God should be a good neighbour and freely love his or her neighbours sacrificially. The neighbours, the Lord wants you to love is in your community and outside of your community. But since charity begins at home, you should know your neighbours in the same compound, estate or sometimes the street, and be as friendly and helpful as you can possibly be. Be ready to sacrifice for your neighbour, when the need arise, even if he has never been a good neighbour to you. Show him, love, that he may thank God for bringing you to the community.
Who is your neighbour?
Neighbours has been defined to be anyone your hand of help and support can touch, whether he is in your compound, in your Estate, office, and community.
The love of God prepares us to be ready to sacrifice what we need, in order to care for someone in need. The Lord would frequently speak about the duties of man to his neighbour and why believers should be interested in manifesting the fruits of the Spirit.
Neighbours has been defined to be anyone your hand of help and support can touch, whether he is in your compound, in your Estate, office, and community.
The kind of love, which the Lord expects from us to our neighbours is one that will cost us something. It might interrupt your schedule, cause you to spend money you did not budget for, or do things that could be risking your safety and reputation, just to help someone in need. He might even be a stranger you met on the plane or in a Conference.
The love of God prepares us to be ready to sacrifice what we need, in order to care for someone in need. The Lord would frequently speak about the duties of man to his neighbour and why believers should be interested in manifesting the fruits of the Spirit.
How are we to love our neighbours?
Love defined
The kind of love, believers should exhibit is love without hypocrisy, without expecting something in return. Love that is sacrificial, and the easiest way to identify this kind of love is to look at Christ and the scriptures, in the book of 1 John 3:16-18, the bible gave three descriptions of love toward one another:
Loving your neighbour is the second great commandment. The first is “You shall love the Lord, your God,” and I believe it can be properly rephrased to say “you shall love your God more than yourself.” The second commandment is, “You shall love your neighbour, as yourself.”
Loving your neighbour is the second great commandment. The first is “You shall love the Lord, your God,” and I believe it can be properly rephrased to say “you shall love your God more than yourself.” The second commandment is, “You shall love your neighbour, as yourself.”
How to Love your neighbour
1. He may be the Rich one
He may be in riches, and you are poor, and you live in your little cot side by side with his Exotic mansion. You see his estates, you mark his fine linen, and his sumptuous consumption and fine clothing. God has given him these gifts, and if he has not given them to you, do not covet his wealth, and do not think hard thoughts concerning him. There will always be differences in the circumstances of man, so let it be.
He may be in riches, and you are poor, and you live in your little cot side by side with his Exotic mansion. You see his estates, you mark his fine linen, and his sumptuous consumption and fine clothing. God has given him these gifts, and if he has not given them to you, do not covet his wealth, and do not think hard thoughts concerning him. There will always be differences in the circumstances of man, so let it be.
Be content with your own lot, if you cannot better it, but do not look upon your neighbour, and wish that he was as poor as yourself, and do not aid or abet any who would rid him of his wealth to make you hastily rich. Love him, and then you cannot envy him.
2. You are the Rich one
Maybe, you are the rich one in your street, or within an Estate, and near you reside the poor. Do not scorn at them, despise them or generally talk-down on them. Do not scorn to own that you are bound to love even them. The world may call them your inferiors. They may even hail your achievement and consider you are better than them, but in what ways are they inferior? In wealth and things of this world, but remember they are your equals really, before God. Take heed that you love your neighbour even though he is in rags, and do not scorn him, though he may be neck-deep in the depths of poverty.
2. You are the Rich one
Maybe, you are the rich one in your street, or within an Estate, and near you reside the poor. Do not scorn at them, despise them or generally talk-down on them. Do not scorn to own that you are bound to love even them. The world may call them your inferiors. They may even hail your achievement and consider you are better than them, but in what ways are they inferior? In wealth and things of this world, but remember they are your equals really, before God. Take heed that you love your neighbour even though he is in rags, and do not scorn him, though he may be neck-deep in the depths of poverty.
3. Another Religion
Love your neighbour, who is of a different religion. You think yourself to belong to that sect which is the nearest to the truth, and you have hope that you and your companions who think the same way shall certainly be saved. Your neighbour thinks differently. His religion you say is unsound and untrue; love him for all that. Do not let your differences separate him from you. Perhaps he may be right, or he may be wrong; he shall be the most right in practice who loves the most. Possibly he has no religion at all. He disregards your God, love him still. Hard words will not convert him, hard deeds will not make him a Christian. Love him anyway; his sin is not against you, but against your God.
4. Disrespects your God
Love your neighbour, who disrespects your God, and when you give him tracts, he tears it, you should love him still. Your God takes vengeance for sins committed against himself, and leave him in God’s hands. But if you can do him a kind turn, if you can find anything by which you can serve him, do it, be it day or night. And if you make any distinction make it thus: “Because you are not of my religion, I will serve you the more, that you may be converted to the right, whereas you are a Jehovah Witness and I am a Pentecostal believer, you are still my neighbour, and I will love you with the hope that you may give up your false doctrine, and come to saving grace of Jesus Christ. Love your neighbour, despite differences in religion.
Love your neighbour, who is of a different religion. You think yourself to belong to that sect which is the nearest to the truth, and you have hope that you and your companions who think the same way shall certainly be saved. Your neighbour thinks differently. His religion you say is unsound and untrue; love him for all that. Do not let your differences separate him from you. Perhaps he may be right, or he may be wrong; he shall be the most right in practice who loves the most. Possibly he has no religion at all. He disregards your God, love him still. Hard words will not convert him, hard deeds will not make him a Christian. Love him anyway; his sin is not against you, but against your God.
4. Disrespects your God
Love your neighbour, who disrespects your God, and when you give him tracts, he tears it, you should love him still. Your God takes vengeance for sins committed against himself, and leave him in God’s hands. But if you can do him a kind turn, if you can find anything by which you can serve him, do it, be it day or night. And if you make any distinction make it thus: “Because you are not of my religion, I will serve you the more, that you may be converted to the right, whereas you are a Jehovah Witness and I am a Pentecostal believer, you are still my neighbour, and I will love you with the hope that you may give up your false doctrine, and come to saving grace of Jesus Christ. Love your neighbour, despite differences in religion.
5. Business Competitor
Love your neighbour, although he opposes you in trade. I know this topic will be hard for businessmen to accept, but nevertheless, it is the will of God for His sons and daughters, to love their neighbours, though they may be businessmen and women competing with them. If a young man opens a shop next to your own, selling and distributing the same goods you are dealing with, you must not harm him, you must neither think nor say anything to injure him. Your business is to love him, for though he opposes you in your business, he is your neighbour still.
6. Your Debtors
There is another Neighbour, residing near you, who is indebted to you, and if you should take from him all that he owes you, you will ruin him; but if you let him keep your money for a little while, he may weather the storm, and succeed in his endeavours. It is your business to love him as you love yourself. Let him have your money, let him try again, and perhaps you shall have your own, and he shall be helped too.
7. Business Partners
Your business partners and customers, With whom you have dealings in your business, are also your neighbours. With whomever, you do business, whether he greater or less than you, he is your neighbour, and the Christian law commands that you shall love your neighbour. It does not merely say that you are not to hate him, but it tells you to love him; and though he should thwart your projects, though he should prevent your obtaining wealth, though he should rob you of your custom, though he should obscure your fame, yet you are bound to love him as yourself. This law makes no exception. Is he near you, and have you any dealings with him? Thus says the law, “You shall love him.”
Love your neighbour, although he opposes you in trade. I know this topic will be hard for businessmen to accept, but nevertheless, it is the will of God for His sons and daughters, to love their neighbours, though they may be businessmen and women competing with them. If a young man opens a shop next to your own, selling and distributing the same goods you are dealing with, you must not harm him, you must neither think nor say anything to injure him. Your business is to love him, for though he opposes you in your business, he is your neighbour still.
6. Your Debtors
There is another Neighbour, residing near you, who is indebted to you, and if you should take from him all that he owes you, you will ruin him; but if you let him keep your money for a little while, he may weather the storm, and succeed in his endeavours. It is your business to love him as you love yourself. Let him have your money, let him try again, and perhaps you shall have your own, and he shall be helped too.
7. Business Partners
Your business partners and customers, With whom you have dealings in your business, are also your neighbours. With whomever, you do business, whether he greater or less than you, he is your neighbour, and the Christian law commands that you shall love your neighbour. It does not merely say that you are not to hate him, but it tells you to love him; and though he should thwart your projects, though he should prevent your obtaining wealth, though he should rob you of your custom, though he should obscure your fame, yet you are bound to love him as yourself. This law makes no exception. Is he near you, and have you any dealings with him? Thus says the law, “You shall love him.”
Love, different from Support
There is something, we should know about the 'love your neighbour command'. Love your neighbour is not exclusive to offering him help and other forms of assistance. That is part of it, but that's not all there is with 'Love your neighbour'. There is the aspect of loving the neighbour who hates you and never speaks well about you. He is in your compound or community, he will not speak to you. Perhaps you did something he did not like years ago, but he still remembers that error and would not want to see you. By the word of the Lord, you should still love him. If there is anything you should do for him or his family, you should happily do it also, at least for Christ sake.
8. Busy body Neighbour
There is the neighbour that is a 'full-time' busy body. She monitors every movement into the compound or Estate, to know who, it is that drove in or out. You are bound to love your neighbour, though he offends you with his sin. The same family and their children are the ones bringing all kinds of people into the estate, partying, playing loud music and generally constituting themselves into a kind of nuisance. Sometimes our spirits are overwhelmed, and our hearts are grieved, when we see such things in the environment, but we are bound to love them.
9. Naughty Neighbours
We are bound to love even sinners, because one day, many of them will change and become better citizens and believers. Among those people in the clubs, bar and similar places today, are tomorrow's ministers of the gospel. So, we should not drive them away, but seek to help them realize themselves. Do not say I cannot love a liar, a drunkard or even a Prostitute so that I do not become like them. You are bound to love him/her, though he offended you or even got you into trouble. The law of love knows of no exception. It claims my love for him. I just love him. I am not bound to take him to my house; I am not bound to treat him as one of my family. There may be some acts of kindness which would be imprudent, seeing that by doing them I might ruin others and reward vice.
10. Your Brethren
Love is the new command, and love for brethren is specifically mentioned as one of the signs, by which people will know that we are Christians, yet there are many of you, who find it difficult to love your neighbours, even the people, who attend the same church with you, just because he said something wrong about you or disagrees with you. Oh, but look at the reality of the issue, if you are unable to love your brethren in the same church with you, how easy will it be for you to love strangers and your enemies?
But, the bible says that, if you cannot love your brothers and sisters you are worse than heathen men and publicans. We are bound to love and honour all men, simply because they are men; and we are to love, next, all those who dwell near us, not for their goodness or friendliness towards us, but simply because the Lord demands it, and they are our neighbours. “Love your neighbour as yourself.”
There is something, we should know about the 'love your neighbour command'. Love your neighbour is not exclusive to offering him help and other forms of assistance. That is part of it, but that's not all there is with 'Love your neighbour'. There is the aspect of loving the neighbour who hates you and never speaks well about you. He is in your compound or community, he will not speak to you. Perhaps you did something he did not like years ago, but he still remembers that error and would not want to see you. By the word of the Lord, you should still love him. If there is anything you should do for him or his family, you should happily do it also, at least for Christ sake.
8. Busy body Neighbour
There is the neighbour that is a 'full-time' busy body. She monitors every movement into the compound or Estate, to know who, it is that drove in or out. You are bound to love your neighbour, though he offends you with his sin. The same family and their children are the ones bringing all kinds of people into the estate, partying, playing loud music and generally constituting themselves into a kind of nuisance. Sometimes our spirits are overwhelmed, and our hearts are grieved, when we see such things in the environment, but we are bound to love them.
9. Naughty Neighbours
We are bound to love even sinners, because one day, many of them will change and become better citizens and believers. Among those people in the clubs, bar and similar places today, are tomorrow's ministers of the gospel. So, we should not drive them away, but seek to help them realize themselves. Do not say I cannot love a liar, a drunkard or even a Prostitute so that I do not become like them. You are bound to love him/her, though he offended you or even got you into trouble. The law of love knows of no exception. It claims my love for him. I just love him. I am not bound to take him to my house; I am not bound to treat him as one of my family. There may be some acts of kindness which would be imprudent, seeing that by doing them I might ruin others and reward vice.
10. Your Brethren
Love is the new command, and love for brethren is specifically mentioned as one of the signs, by which people will know that we are Christians, yet there are many of you, who find it difficult to love your neighbours, even the people, who attend the same church with you, just because he said something wrong about you or disagrees with you. Oh, but look at the reality of the issue, if you are unable to love your brethren in the same church with you, how easy will it be for you to love strangers and your enemies?
But, the bible says that, if you cannot love your brothers and sisters you are worse than heathen men and publicans. We are bound to love and honour all men, simply because they are men; and we are to love, next, all those who dwell near us, not for their goodness or friendliness towards us, but simply because the Lord demands it, and they are our neighbours. “Love your neighbour as yourself.”
FIRE...
Post a Comment