Friday, September 1, 2023
“We're not trying to figure each other out. Figuring each other out sounds like a project; finding each other out sounds like an adventure together.”
-Bob Goff (Introduction. Love Lives Here, by Maria Goff)
Last weekend, we were reminded that the reason we should love our neighbors is because of God's deep love for us. As an expression of that love, we should learn our neighbor’s name, see their needs, and help them take a next step on the adventure Jesus calls them to.
Barbra was my neighbor when I was in college. She loved to garden and had a mini jungle in her small backyard. Through our conversations, I learned she was single, retired, a breast cancer survivor, and our neighborhood watch lady.
Barbra loved to talk; I prefer to get to the point. We were different people, but you know what, she looked out for me and my roommates. We respected each other, and I knew that if either of us needed anything, we could ask the other for help.
I don’t think Barbra had much understanding of God when we met over the cookies I baked for her, but I hope that the love I showed her as a Christian left an imprint. After all, she didn’t need to understand God to be shown his love. Barbra took a chance to let me into her life, and maybe one day, she will be open to let God in too.
1 John 4:10-12
10 This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. 12 No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.
Even though I have not seen God with my eyes, I know he loves me so much he sent his son as a sacrifice for my sins. I had an opportunity to extend his love to Barbra out of the overflow of his love for me. Loving our neighbor doesn’t have to look a certain way, because as Ben mentioned, people are not projects.
As we continue our adventures with Jesus and the people whom God has placed in our paths, it’s more about finding someone out than fixing them. We might not relate to people in the same way, but that shouldn’t prevent us from extending our hand toward them to reveal the love of God.
Questions:
Is there a neighbor to whom you can extend a hand?
What does it look like for you to love your neighbor?
Next Steps:
What’s your neighbor’s name? Connect with a neighbor by sharing something you love with them or by inviting them to do something you enjoy.
Prayer: Day 19 - For the Courage to Make a Difference (Matthew 5:14-16)
Thank you, God, for blessing us with your love to share with the world. Please, give us the strength to step out in faith when we see a need. Give us the courage to reveal your truth, so that others can receive the knowledge of your heart for them, and then join you in the work you are doing. Help us reach those around us through our everyday actions and grant us the confidence to live by faith. Amen.
Series Theme Verse:
1 John 4:10-11
10 This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other.
This post was written by Becca Roberts, a regular contributor to the LivingItOut Devotional.