Neighborly Love
OPENING PRAYER:
Heavenly Father, help us to love unconditionally. Open my eyes to the opportunities to reach out to others in Your love. Amen
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:30-31 NIV
REFLECT:
I will never forget a day in May of 2017. We were having our morning coffee on our deck when we heard a commotion in the front yard. When we ran to see what was happening we found our neighbor on the ground with EMTs doing CPR. I recall putting my hand on his wife’s shoulder trying to give comfort in a desperate situation. Our neighbor died that day. As I look back I will never forget the feeling of helplessness yet filled with love and compassion. God’s love is like that. In the midst of our lowest hour love and compassion shines the brightest.
APPLY:
God’s design has always been that we treat others with love and respect. Through life’s journey you never know what experiences God will bring your way. I remember as we were praying over our neighbors that day that it didn’t matter how different our lives were. It only mattered that God’s love locked our hearts together for a moment in eternity.
God’s greatest gift is love. Through His love we can express compassion and kindness to the greatest sinner. Because of His love we can experience hope and peace in our most difficult circumstances. In the midst of His love we can see miracles and lives changed. Loving our neighbor doesn’t stop at the person’s house next door. It goes with you wherever you go. Like the good Samaritan, shine God’s love to whomever you may meet on your journey today.
CLOSING PRAYER:
Heavenly Father; thank you for Your perfect love. Help me to shine that love into the world around me. Amen
WORSHIP: