Question to consider this week: Are you being a good neighbor to those in your closest circle (i.e. family members, friends, “framily”, roommates)?
“Don’t do anything for selfish purposes, but with humility think of others as better than yourselves. Instead of each person watching out for their own good, watch out for what is better for others. Adopt the attitude that was in Christ Jesus:
Though he was in the form of God,
he did not consider being equal with God something to exploit.
But he emptied himself
by taking the form of a slave
and by becoming like human beings.
When he found himself in the form of a human,
He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death,
even death on a cross.” (Philippians 2: 3-8, CEB)
The “O” in the J.O.Y. Rule is for “others.” It seems pretty straightforward that prioritizing others over yourself is an important part of being a good neighbor, right? Loving others well requires us to make sacrifices. From small sacrifices like letting someone else pick the T.V. show or movie to larger sacrifices like choosing not to go to a wedding during COVID because your roommate is considered “high risk”, putting someone else’s desires and needs over your own can show them how much you care.
Oftentimes situations arise where we have the opportunity to choose to put someone else’s desires and/or needs before our own, but being the kind of neighbor that Jesus asks us to be might just require that we seek out ways to put others before ourselves instead of waiting for those opportunities to come to us.
Instead of waiting to be asked to do something, I want to challenge you this week to go out of your way to do something neighborly for someone in your immediate circle. Whether it is something as simple as cleaning up the kitchen after your significant other cooks or something more labor intensive like offering to do some yard work for a senior friend, your kindness can be contagious. Before you know it, you’ll be on your way to being the kind of neighbor Jesus calls you to be!
Prayer:
Holy Spirit, provoke our hearts and minds to seek out ways to show kindness to someone close to us today. May we be so full of your extravagant love that it overflows out of us and into the hearts of others. We are so grateful for the people in our lives who show us what it means to love without conditions; help us to love them well in return so that our earthly relationships will point toward the heavenly relationship we have with you. Amen.
Written By: Jenny Spidell