Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Love Thy Neighbour

The Greatest Commandment
 34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
 37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[d] 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

- Matthew 22: 34 - 40


Today, I've been prompted to write something about Love Your Neighbour. In the bible, God repeatedly tells us to love our neighbour, as He loves us. Love your neighbour as yourself.

Did God meant fellow brothers and sisters in Christ? Or did HE also include everyone, saved on unsaved? Several times in the bible, he says that loving our neighbors is part of God's plan to evangelize them. Our love demonstrates what God and His kingdom are like. And much as evangelizing them is important, the key in His commandment is to Love everyone as stated in here:

God’s Love and Ours
7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God - 1 John 4:7

So certainly when God says to Love our Neighbour, He meant to love everyone, and especially non-Christians, cause it is through our actions that will bring them near, and our actions will also reflect what God and His kingdom are like.

But how or what should we do? How can we go about doing it? And does that mean imposing our stands on them? No...The first thing we should do is to pray for them. As a human, we are limited in how we can help them, but God is unlimited in how He can help. The greatest thing we can do for them is seriously pray for them.

God can do more for them in 1 miniute than we can in a lifetime. But God does not force His blessings on anyone without an invitation.

Lord, I pray that much as we hope and pray for our neighbour's salvation, we have to continously remember that yr commandment was to Love All, as ourselves and I pray that it is through our actions that draw people nearer to you, and not further away from you. Lord, I pray for wisdom to say the right things to them, and I also pray that you open their hearts, but most importantly, I pray for patience. Patience for the harvesters to harvest the fruits, and faith that the fruits will be ripen in your timing.

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