The Art of Neighboring
Yesterday, we had the privilege to attend a nephew's baptism. I love baptisms. It is truly exciting to witness people making a deeper commitment to Jesus Christ.
This particular service also addressed issues I have been thinking about, namely the "Art of Neighboring". The pastors of this church have been speaking about how to love the literal neighbors around you as well as your "neighbors" at work. I applaud the pastors for embracing this topic. It is very relevant. After all, if we are supposed to transform our communities with the love of Christ, we have to start somewhere. It begins with us, as individuals, as families. We cannot expect our church leaders or church programs to do the job all by themselves.
The speaker also suggested 10 ways to connect with others (in bold). I've added my thoughts to expand upon the points.
1. Eat with other people. Invite people in your house for meals. Take people out to restaurants. Attend potlucks.
2. Work/play in public places. If you are out in public, you will have more of a chance to connect with your community.
3. Be a regular. If you are a "member" somewhere, you can engage with others on a regular basis.
4. Join in what's going on. Attend local festivals and community events.
5. Leave the house in the evenings. After all, that is usually when people are not working.
6. Serve your neighbors. Shovel walks. Mow lawns. Take over a meal or a treat. Share.
7. Share your passion. Often our hobbies are excellent ways to connect with people in and outside our church.
8. Hang out with work colleagues. That means in and outside of work.
9. Walk. You never know, you might meet someone and have a conversation.
10. Prayer walk. Pray for your neighborhood.
When I look at this list, it is easy for me to get a bit self-righteous and conclude, "Yup, we are doing pretty good at this. I guess we will keep doing what we are doing." But the pastor's concluding thoughts humbled me with a challenge: Why do we connect with neighbors? Is it for the sake of connecting with others so we look good in our own eyes? Or do we connect with our neighbors because we truly and sincerely love them? I am ashamed to say that I hesitate in answering the question.
Thus, I am convicted to pray that God will fill me with His Divine Love that can't help but love the people around me. That way, when I connect with my neighbors and community using the suggestions above, I do it with the right motivation. After all, it isn't about me and how well I am doing in the art of neighboring. It is about people seeing Christ in me and longing for Him.
Kids, I conclude with a passage of scripture that I have been meditating on:
This particular service also addressed issues I have been thinking about, namely the "Art of Neighboring". The pastors of this church have been speaking about how to love the literal neighbors around you as well as your "neighbors" at work. I applaud the pastors for embracing this topic. It is very relevant. After all, if we are supposed to transform our communities with the love of Christ, we have to start somewhere. It begins with us, as individuals, as families. We cannot expect our church leaders or church programs to do the job all by themselves.
The speaker also suggested 10 ways to connect with others (in bold). I've added my thoughts to expand upon the points.
1. Eat with other people. Invite people in your house for meals. Take people out to restaurants. Attend potlucks.
2. Work/play in public places. If you are out in public, you will have more of a chance to connect with your community.
3. Be a regular. If you are a "member" somewhere, you can engage with others on a regular basis.
4. Join in what's going on. Attend local festivals and community events.
5. Leave the house in the evenings. After all, that is usually when people are not working.
6. Serve your neighbors. Shovel walks. Mow lawns. Take over a meal or a treat. Share.
7. Share your passion. Often our hobbies are excellent ways to connect with people in and outside our church.
8. Hang out with work colleagues. That means in and outside of work.
9. Walk. You never know, you might meet someone and have a conversation.
10. Prayer walk. Pray for your neighborhood.
When I look at this list, it is easy for me to get a bit self-righteous and conclude, "Yup, we are doing pretty good at this. I guess we will keep doing what we are doing." But the pastor's concluding thoughts humbled me with a challenge: Why do we connect with neighbors? Is it for the sake of connecting with others so we look good in our own eyes? Or do we connect with our neighbors because we truly and sincerely love them? I am ashamed to say that I hesitate in answering the question.
Thus, I am convicted to pray that God will fill me with His Divine Love that can't help but love the people around me. That way, when I connect with my neighbors and community using the suggestions above, I do it with the right motivation. After all, it isn't about me and how well I am doing in the art of neighboring. It is about people seeing Christ in me and longing for Him.
Kids, I conclude with a passage of scripture that I have been meditating on:
As we know Jesus better, his divine power gives us everything we need for living a godly life. He has called us to receive his own glory and goodness! And by that same mighty power, he has given us all of his rich and wonderful promises. He has promised that you will escape the decadence all around you caused by evil desires and that you will share in his divine nature.
So make every effort to apply the benefits of these promises to your life. Then your faith will produce a life of moral excellence. A life of moral excellence leads to knowing God better. Knowing God leads to self-control. Self-control leads to patience endurance, and patient endurance leads to godliness. Godliness leads to love for other Christians, and finally you will grow to have genuine love for everyone. The more your grow like this, the more you will become productive and useful in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:3-8, NLT)