Love Your Neighbor
Love Your Neighbor
Have you ever been challenged by a relationship with someone living in close proximity that it sometimes feels too close for comfort? There will be moments on this side of Heaven when we will be troubled by people who insult us, falsely accuse us, or simply rub us the wrong way. So, you might ask, how can we be more Christlike to our neighbors when getting along with them may prove to be difficult? That’s a question I asked until someone I knew provided great insight.
I took my cue by observing a dear friend of mine who navigated the hard stuff of being forced to share living space with a roommate in an assisted living facility that could accommodate her disability and financial limitations. My friend had to put up with repeated racial slurs and swearing, as well as false accusations made against her. This was very hard for her!
And then something happened that changed her perspective and restored peace to her soul, joy to her spirit…and LOVE to her neighbor! She simply asked the LORD to let her see her accusers and false witnesses through His eyes, so she could see them as He sees them. What she saw was a troubled soul who had never felt loved and another who had learning and emotional challenges that made it hard to be kind to others. The Lord changed my friend’s vision to His!
Did this change in perspective excuse the poor treatment my friend received? No, but it did something more powerful. It explained it. Understanding that God loves these tricky roommates, my friend chose to love them too. She started making them cards and pictures with encouraging Bible verses, which they not only loved but also appreciated. Her acts of kindness were received with gratitude, fostering a new sense of harmony in their shared space.
Let us Walk in His Way:
Dear Lord Jesus, 1 Peter 2:23 reminds us that when You were “reviled,” You did not “threaten” but instead entrusted Yourself “to him who judges justly.” May we follow Your example and see others through Your eyes so that we may love our neighbors as You do. In Jesus’ Name, I pray. Amen.
by Corinne “Kinney” deHamel
author of “Walk in His Way” for
Carry the Light Ministries
