Love Thy Neighbor

Jesus tells us that out of all the commandments there are two that are the most important. Do you know what they are? Are they equally important? Here’s a clue to one of them, read the following verses:

Matthew 22:39
Mark 12:31

          Love your neighbor as yourself. Do you love your neighbor as yourself? Do you talk to your neighbors…all of them? Do you only socialize with certain neighbors? Are you willing to meet new neighbors and include them in your circle? Are there certain neighbors who annoy you? It’s okay to be annoyed by certain people, we’re not perfect but are we handling it appropriately? There are many questions we need to be asking ourselves when it comes to how we treat our neighbors. I’m not just talking about our neighbors on our street, but I think it’s a great place to start. I believe Jesus is talking about all people we meet and may have relationships with. So begin with your neighborhood and ask yourself these questions. We may not think it’s the most important thing but it’s of the utmost importance in God’s eyes.

          After having a wonderful neighborhood get together this week that CC and Tara put together I found myself pondering these very questions. I knew the majority of the people there but I saw new faces that I was thrilled to see. My intention was to try and meet everyone there. My hope was to find out who was brand new to the neighborhood and grill them with questions…kidding. But I was definitely eager to meet new people while still trying to cater to my friends and neighbors that I already knew. Plus, I had to focus on my four kids and make sure my husband was entertained. Thank goodness for bouncy houses, squirt guns and ladder golf to entertain them. I feel like I made the rounds and talked to as many people as I could. The get together, I believe, was a huge success. Now, however, I need to make sure I keep up with these new relationships I’ve made. It shouldn’t take an annual BBQ to visit with someone that lives four houses up the street. It’s important to continually build new relationships and maintain current friendships. Although, I know I missed certain people my goal will be to eventually know every person in my neighborhood.

          Now the tough question, will I love my neighbor as myself? What does that mean? Not only do I challenge myself but I challenge you to truly love your neighbor as yourself. I think I know what God wants from it but now I have to do it. I’ll be praying about it and hopefully you do too. I expect this to be a growing process but I’m very excited for it. How can I not be excited, this is one of the most important commandments? So let’s go on this journey together. Hopefully I hear back from some of you about a new neighbor you’ve met, how relationships are growing or if you know what it truly means to love your neighbor as yourself.

Uh Oh, I must go because I just burned the cookies I made for my new neighbors. Pray they don’t have taste buds.

Love,

Your neighbor in Christ--Kara