“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. . . . Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other command greater than these.” Mark 12:30–31
What is it like to live next door to you?
Two men and their families were being transferred from different cities to the same town. The moving vans had been carefully loaded, and both clans, kids and all, were packed up in the family SUVs with lots of luggage stacked on top. The first family stopped at the little convenience store just outside their new hometown to buy a few things. “We’re moving to your town,” the dad informed the lady behind the counter. “What’s it like to live here?” he queried. “Are people friendly?”
The clerk, a longtime resident and wise beyond her chosen vocation, responded with a question of her own. “What was it like in the town you just left?” the woman asked. “Oh, it was terrific,” the man quickly responded with a smile. “We had lots and lots of friends. We’re really going to miss them; we loved that place.”
“Well, my friend,” the cashier replied, “you’re in luck. This is a great town. The people here are the finest folks you’ll find anywhere. You’ll make lots of new friends right away.” The man and his family drove away, glad they had chosen such a delightful place to live.
In a few minutes, the second family arrived at the same convenience store for a few things. “We’re new in town,” the dad informed the lady behind the counter. “What’s it like to live here?” he queried.
The clerk responded with the same question she had asked before. “Oh, it was terrible,” the man snarled. “We’re so glad to get out of that place. The people were all selfish gossips. We had no friends because we didn’t trust any of them,” he added.
“Well,” replied the clerk, “you’re in for a real shock. You thought the last town was bad? Why, this place is a veritable cesspool of meddlers and snitches. Our town is filled with unhappy people. I’d be surprised if you find a single friend in this place,” she added.
If you want to have good neighbors, the cashier thought as the second family pulled out of the parking lot, you have to be good neighbors.
Jesus had some straight words for the way we treat the folks next door. In fact, He drew three parallel lines, telling us there is a direct relationship between what we believe about God, what we believe about ourselves, and then how we handle the folks just on the other side of our lot lines.
Exactly what kind of a neighbor are you? How well does your love for them match your love for God? Would they be surprised to know that you worship and follow Christ, or would this fit perfectly into what they’ve seen in your life?
Keep your house in good repair, keep your dandelions under control, and promptly return the tools you’ve borrowed from the guy next door. Offer your jumper cables when you’re awakened by the grinding sound of your neighbor’s reluctant car. Amazing as this might sound, doing these things may be as persuasive in introducing this guy to Jesus Christ as any Bible verse you could ever read to him.