Neighbor part 3
As my father says (at any given occasion), "You can never be too nice to people." Biblically, "Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification" (Romans 15:2). And this goes with what I was Ranting about in the last series--more than just working no ill... do good. Because love means affection. It isn't a grudging, "I guess I love you because I love everybody. Blah." It is so much more than that. It is treating everybody you come into contact with like a neighbor. Like a friend. Like your favorite. Laying your life down for people. Giving maximum effort. Giving everything you have and everything you are, even though it seems like the more you love the less you are loved. And, friends, sometimes it DOES feel like that. Sometimes it feels like if you give a mouse a cookie he's gonna want a glass of milk. People WILL take advantage of you. If they know you're willing to help, they'll try to get whatever they can get. But that's ok. Give them what you've got. And then don't worry about it when you say no. Know when to say when. Because once you've given it everything you've got... its either enough, or its not. And either way you've done what you could do. But don't make a big deal out of it either. Like the old saying goes, "If someone helps you, never forget it. If you help someone, never remember it." Don't hold things over people's heads. Don't remind them of what you've done for them. If you see a need, and you can meet it, meet it. Don't wait to "feel led." Just give what you've got. Be who you are. And if they ask why, well, you can tell them you're just "being neighborly." Don't make a big deal out of it. Especially if it IS a big deal. Because if someone really NEEDS help... they know its a big deal. So just be cool about it. Be nice... but don't expect anything. Go the extra mile, but don't do it so that someone will thank you. I teach my kid to say thank you when people do stuff for him, give stuff to him. Because I think that's right. Proper. Polite. But not everybody feels that way. And sometimes I think people are embarressed when they get help--because they are embarrassed to NEED help--and that makes things awkward. Don't do it for the applause, is what I think I'm trying to say. Do it because its in your heart to do it. Do it because someone did it for you. Or do it because nobody did it for you. Do it because you can do it. And, as always, I'm not talking about enabling. I'm not talking about doing more than you can (or should) do. Use a little wisdom. Maybe even a little common sense. Sometimes people want things they don't need. But sometimes people DO need. "And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then? He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise" (Luke 3:10-11). Live out of your abundance. Should you go into debt to give someone money? Probably not. But if you've got two coats and someone is cold... give what you've got. Share the wealth. Let people know that you're there for them. That if they need help, there's somewhere they can go. Let people know that they're NOT all alone. We're all in this together. Family. Friends. Neighbors.