Neighbor part 5
I always say, "If you don't know what to do, do what you know." And what we know (hopefully, by now) is love. God loves us, and we love Him back by loving each other. We receive and release His love. That's what its all about. To me, being neighborly. Loving the people that are close to us. And I mean that in the way that you are close to people when you have a good relationship with them... and I mean that in the way that you are physically close to all of the people you encounter in your life. Your neighbor isn't just the person who lives next door. It is whoever crosses your path. Now watch this--and I don't want to get too far into the context and the backstory, I really just want to touch on the phrase itself-- "Cornelius stared hard, wondering if he was seeing things. The he said, "What do you want, sir?" The angel said, "Your prayers and neighborly acts have brought you to God's attention"" (Acts 10:4 MSG). And here's what I have to say about that: I love my kid all the time. Every second of every day. Whether I'm with him or not. Whether I know what he's doing or not. But when I get a good report about him, or (better yet) when I see him do something out of the goodness of his heart... man, that fills up my pride meter. When I see him go out of his way to love someone--to be neighborly--you won't be able to get a smile off my face. So I'm not talking about trying to earn God's love. That's impossible. Because He IS love. He always has loved you and He always will love you. There's nothing you can do to change that. I once heard a preacher say, "God loves you, and there's nothing you can do about it." Perfect. But while that basic level of unconditional love is always present in our lives (if we would just be open to it)... talking to your heavenly Father (prayer), and loving people (neighborly acts), really gets His attention. And, one more time, its NOT about earning anything. But when you do good and someone gives you the old "atta boy," that feels good. When I tell Logan I'm proud of him HIS face lights up. He knows I love him. Always. But in those moments where he goes above and beyond... its above and beyond. Its awesome. Funny too, wouldn't you say, that in the beginning Adam and Eve didn't WANT God's attention? They disobeyed Him and ran from Him. Hiding from His presence. Even though He never said He would punish them. God was trying to warn them that eating from the tree of death (the tree of knowledge of good and evil) would result in death. And, realistically, what else could come from that tree? But the point is, we have this mindset where we think God is out to get us. When, in truth, He got us 2,000 years ago on the cross. He's not mad AT you, He's mad ABOUT you. Head over heels in love with you. And there's nothing that makes a Father happier than seeing His Son (YOU) follow in His foot steps. Or, in this case, His Son (Jesus) making His own foot steps with your feet. We experience the abundant, everlasting, eternal, Resurrection Life of love that IS the gift of God by letting Jesus live it in us, and through us, and as us. We love our neighbors because Jesus lives in our house--in us. HE loves us, and we just let it flow out of us by knowing and believing that it is in there. By filling ourselves to overflowing with what He has filled us with. We get His attention by giving Him our attention. By letting Him love us and loving Him back by loving each other!