We have seen that loving our neighbors means seeking opportunities to reach out to them, paying attention to their needs, listening well, and being ready with a word fitly spoken that might touch them with the grace of the Lord. But there is more to loving our neighbors than this. Today’s excerpt from The Kingdom Turn is found on pages 157 and 158:
“We also love our neighbors as ourselves when we make ourselves available to serve them in various ways.
“Here we must learn to be alert and sensitive to the needs of others, to be ready with an appropriate word or helpful deed, as the situation may require. And if we lack skills to serve others, we will become equipped and will persevere in reaching out in every way we can, especially by bringing the Good News of the Kingdom to people, or urging them on in their life in the Lord. Above all we will point them to Jesus by our lives and words, in the hope that they might find in Him all the precious and very great promises of God.
“Third, the various ‘one another’ passages in the New Testament suggest that one expression of neighbor love involves our shepherding others in their walk with the Lord. By building strong relationships, living and sharing from our own walk with the Lord, giving up some of our time and interests to care for others, defending them against false teaching and temptations, and helping them grow in the Lord’s salvation, we can fulfill the shepherding role that Jesus, our Good Shepherd, declared He had come to perform. We can’t shepherd everyone it’s true, and appropriate channels and relationships for shepherding are outlined in the New Testament. Nevertheless, we must all work to improve our ‘one-anothering’ skills as members together in the Body of Christ.”
For reflection or discussion
1. What have you found to be good ways of staying alert and sensitive to the needs of others?
2. How do you encourage your fellow Christians to press on in the Lord?
When loving God and neighbors becomes more evident among the citizens of the Kingdom, the very Presence of Jesus Himself will be more evident among us. He is working to bring forth the fruit of love by the power of His Spirit, and if we’ve made the Kingdom turn, we’ll be eager for such neighbor-love to be true of us. Share today’s podcast with a friend, then get together to discuss it and encourage one another in loving as servants and shepherds. You can order or download a free copy of The Kingdom Turn by going to The Ailbe Bookstore.
T. M. Moore
