Neighborliness

Neighborliness

The love of our neighbor in all its fullness simply means
being able to say to him: What are you going through?

Simone Weil

Neighborliness involves both an attitude and and action. It is both a spirit and a state of living. When we live neighborly lives we recognize that we are, for better or worse, connected to those around us, and we honor that connection by being willing to share one another's sorrows and joys. To be a neighbor is to be able to say, as Simone Weil suggests: What are you going through?

Our neighbors are not simply those for whom we'd like to have a fond feeling, and they're not just those whom we'd prefer to deal with if we could arrange our circumstances to suit ourselves. No, our neighbors are the folks with whom we're called upon to deal in our actual circumstances. George MacDonald said it succinctly: "Your neighbor is the man who is next to you at the moment, the man with whom any business has brought you into contact." These are the real people who are sorrowing and rejoicing around us. They are the ones to whom we must be able to say: What are you going through?

Neighborliness has to be shown by us personally. We can't hire it done, and, worst of all, we can't expect the government to do it. Hubert H. Humphrey, who as a politician believed that government should spend great sums to cure social ills, knew as a human being what all of us should know: "The impersonal hand of government can never replace the helping hand of a neighbor." As tempting as it is to let "society" take care of our neighbors, that's our job as individuals.

Angelus Silesius said, "What you wish for your neighbor, that you ask for yourself. If you don't wish his good, you ask for your own death." We can't neglect others without hurting ourselves, but neither can we help others without uplifting ourselves. Somewhere deep inside, most of us know this to be true. We just need to act on what we know. We need to renew our appreciation of the old-fashioned virtue of neighborliness. What are you going through? has always been one of life's most important questions. Let's learn to ask it every single day.

While the spirit of neighborliness was important on the frontier
because neighbors were so few, it is even more important now
because our neighbors are so many.

Lady Bird Johnson

BECOMING WHAT IS INFLUENTIAL

Impacting Our World: Becoming A Person Of Influence and Passion (6 of 7)
Series: Raise The Standard
UCHENNA F. BEKEE
Matthew 5:13-16

Message Truth: God calls every believer to be His spokesperson and to carry the message of Jesus to other people.

Introduction: In his book Christian Counter-Culture, John R.W. Stott has this to say: "If the beatitudes describe the essential character of the disciples of Jesus, the salt and light metaphors indicate their influence for good in the world.

Yet the very notion that Christians can exert a healthy influence in the world should bring us up with a start. What possible influence could the people described in the beatitudes exert in this hard, tough world? What lasting good can the poor and the meek do, the mourners and the merciful, and those who try to make peace not war? Would they not simply be overwhelmed by the floodtide of evil? What can they accomplish whose only passion is an appetite for righteousness, and whose only weapon is purity of heart? Are not such people too feeble to achieve anything, especially if they are a small minority in the world?

It is evident that Jesus did not share this skepticism. Rather the reverse. The world will undoubtedly persecute the church, yet it is the church's calling to serve this persecuting world. This must be your only retaliation; 'Rudolf Stier expressed it, -love and truth for hatred and lies.' Incredible as it may sound, Jesus referred to that handful of Palestinian peasants as the salt of the earth and the light of the world, so far-reaching was three influence to be."

By modest estimate, more than a quarter of the entire population of the United States has professed an evangelical conversion experience. William Iverson wryly observes that "A pound of meat would surely be affected by a quarter pound of salt. If this is real Christianity, the 'salt of the earth,' where is the effect of which Jesus spoke?" (Christianity Today, June 6, 1980, p.33)

A LOOK AT UNCHURCHED
Here are the results from a Gallup survey called, The Unchurched

1. The survey reports that 44% of Nigeria adults are "unchurched", defined as neither belonging to a church nor visiting one within the last six months except for religious holidays, weddings and funerals.

2. The unchurched are becoming increasingly receptive to what churches have to offer, and are staying away primarily out of inconvenience, not hostility.

3. 63% of the unchurched believe the Bible is God's Word.

4. 77% say they pray to God.

5. 72% believe Jesus is the Son of God.

6. 58% said they were open to joining a church if they found the right one.

7. Gallup's conclusion: These people are ripe for the picking, but it will take new and creative strategies to reach them.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE SALT AND LIGHT ?
(Mat 5:13-16 NIV) "You are the salt of the earth. Bu ...

Thinking

As soon as a man does not take his existence for granted, but beholds
it as something unfathomably mysterious, thought begins.

Albert Schweitzer

It's hard to see -- I mean really see -- things and not be moved to think about what we see. Observation naturally leads to contemplation. What is this thing that I see? Is there more to it than appears at first glance? How did this thing come to be? What is its purpose? Is it to be used? Enjoyed? Learned from? What is there about this thing that I should be glad to know?

The world in which we live is so wondrously and brilliantly multifacted, one lifetime is too short a time to see and think about it all. Every day that the sun comes up, we're surrounded by things that beckon us to observe them gratefully and consider them thoughtfully. If we ever catch ourselves being bored, there can be only one explanation for that: we're simply not paying attention to what's around us.

The ability to think about things is one of our unique endowments. Of all the species in the world, we alone can think rationally about the nature and significance of what we experience. And this ability to think about what we experience adds a whole new depth to our enjoyment of the world. "Thinking," as Lord George Noel Gordon Brown described it, "is the magic of the mind." We can not only enjoy things, we can enjoy the fact that we are enjoying them!

Unfortunately, we often miss the benefit of thinking by trying to bypass the work that's involved in it. But there aren't any shortcuts to the enjoyment of a fully human life. It takes thinking, and "no amount of energy will take the place of thought. A strenuous life with its eyes shut is a kind of wild insanity" (Henry Van Dyke).

Because we have the gift of language, we also have it within our power to share the good things that come from thinking. Our less-than-honorable thoughts should not be shared, of course; they're usually better off left unexpressed. But once in a while, most of us have a good thought, a helpful thought, a beautiful thought. And we never give a better gift than when we share the best of what we've thought.

If, instead of a gem or even a flower, we could cast
the gift of a lovely thought into the heart of a friend,
that would be giving as angels give.

George MacDonald

PAy Attention to God's Presence

God is always with you, yet in this busy world it's easy to become so distracted that you aren't aware of it. You can count on God's presence at all times and in all situations, since He pays close attention to you. However, God doesn't force His attentions upon you. He waits patiently, reaching out to you with love, eager for you to discover Him. To find Him, you must learn how to pay attention.

Here's how you can discover God's presence in deeper ways by learning how to pay attention:

Focus on what God is doing instead of what you're doing for Him. Become aware of what God is up to in your life and seek to cooperate with that work, rather than making your own plans and asking Him to bless them. Pattern your life on Jesus rather than your inner compulsions or outer expectations. Every day, invite God to transform you to become more like Jesus. Pursue what God wants for your life by basing your decisions on His guidance, and you'll discover much more about Him in the process.

Develop the qualities of attentiveness. Ask God to help you: be fully present in each moment, study something long enough to learn something new about it, look at something familiar with a fresh perspective, be available, be aware, wait with expectancy, be mindful, and be wakeful. Make it your goal to see God in all things, and all things in God.

Learn from your spiritual steppingstones. Make some time in a quiet place to recall any major events or relationships that had a deep spiritual influence on you. Try to recall not just the outward circumstances, but the inner meaning it had for you. Use a piece of paper to draw a circle for each one, and write a few words in each circle to describe what you recall. Thank God for each of the steppingstones. Study them to learn in which areas you need more insight and growth.

Get enough sleep. It's hard to pay attention when you're sleep deprived. But when you're well rested, you're able to concentrate well and are likely to notice much more of what God is doing in your life. Change your schedule to make getting enough sleep each night a high priority. Keep in mind that sleep is also a spiritual exercise, because it's an expression of trust -- resting in the knowledge that you don't need to try to control your life, and that God will care for you at all times, including while you're completely unconscious.

Devote your first thoughts of each day to God. When you first wake up each day, turn your thoughts immediately toward God and pray simply that during the day to come, God would open your eyes to His presence in new and deeper ways. Then -- even if you just have a brief amount of time -- spend some time listening to what the Holy Spirit may have to say to you for each new day.

Seek a fresh perspective. Ask God to help you look at life from His perspective -- at any time (not just special times), anywhere (not just in certain places) and toward anyone (not just particular people). Pray whenever you need help looking beyond your own limited view.

Abide in Christ. Decide every day that you will listen for Jesus' guidance and respond to it with obedience motivated by love. Make a habit of listening first to Jesus' words rather than your own needs and desires, then responding in the ways that best show your love for Him.

Notice those in need around you. Strike a healthy balance between paying attention to God and paying attention to the people in need who He wants you to serve. Be prepared to love God by answering His call to help others whenever He leads you to do so. Pray to be able to see whoever you meet with Jesus' eyes and do whatever work you do as if you had Jesus' hands. Expect that, as you serve, you'll become aware of the realities in which you're immersed but were previously unaware.

Stop hurrying. The pressure of being in a hurry prevents you from being able to pay attention to anything well. Make whatever changes you need to make to your schedule so you can slow your life down to a healthy pace. Sort out what's truly important from what's urgent, and focus on important tasks as much as possible to cut down on unnecessary busyness. Do more than just reduce your activities, though -- refocus your heart. Notice what God is doing through you, and rest assured at the end of each day that if you've done your best for God, that's more than enough.

Read Scripture for transformation, not just information. When you read the Bible, invite God to use what you read to change your life. Pay close attention to what you read and carefully consider how you should respond to it. Try the ancient practice of Lectio Divina ("divine reading") when you read the Bible. First, read a passage aloud several times, asking "What does it say?". Then reflect on the text (or even just a word or phrase from it) to ask "What does it say to me?". Pray your response back to God. Then rest in the presence of God, who stands behind the text.

Learn from interruptions. Realize that interruptions are more than mere annoyances; they're often opportunities to learn something valuable. The next time your plans are interrupted, ask God to show you how He wants to use that interruption to change your thinking, and even the direction of your life.

Overcome barriers to attentiveness. Fatigue, apathy, worry, and fears can all prevent you from paying attention. Overcome them by admitting your humanness and brokenness, embracing the grace God offers you, and trusting Him in deeper ways. For example, if you're too tired, it's usually because you've tried to do too much yourself and need to rely on God's strength more. And if you're afraid, it's usually because you haven't trusted God's love enough.

Be still. Regularly reflect on Psalm 46:10, in which God says, "Be still, and know that I am God." Let this Scripture bring peace to your soul. In a peaceful state, you can do more than just "know" many things partially, as you do when you simply gather information in a busy world. Relying on God's peace to pay attention well, you can know one thing at time -- deeply. Don't mistake the flow of adrenaline for the moving of the Holy Spirit. Remember that what counts isn't what you're doing for God, but what God is doing in and through you. While you're still, you can be moving into the fullness of what God has in mind for you.

Let the darkness help you see the light. Don't try to avoid the suffering and challenges that come your way. Instead, venture into the darkness of the unknown, trusting God to help you every step of the way. Let the mysteries you experience motivate you to pursue God more. Grieve your losses and learn from your mistakes. Remember that hard times can usher in transformation and new life. Write a list of some of the dark times in your life. Then, beside each one you've listed, write something about how God revealed more about Himself and what gifts He gave you through that time. Guard your heart from being weighed down by negative emotions like anger and doubt. When you experience a negative emotion, ask yourself what prompted it. See if you can identify the particular need or longing behind it. Then remind yourself that only God can truly meet that need or longing, and give that emotion over to God, trusting Him to care for you. Then just turn your attention to what He leads you to do next.

Rest to find freedom. Rest can be much more than just time for leisure or sleeping. Ask God to help you use your times of rest to experience more of the freedom He wants you to enjoy -- the freedom to trust, work, create, play, let go, and move on into the dreams God has for you. While you rest, invite God to unburden you of regrets about the past and anxious thoughts about the future. Enjoy resting with God right now. Practice centering prayer to direct your attention toward God with you in the present. Set aside one or two times a day (such as right after waking up and right before going to sleep) to wait quietly in God's presence, listening for however He may direct you.

Examine your soul. At the end of each day, think about more than just what you did or didn't get done; consider what values you've pursued. Think about what the way you've used your time shows about your relationship with God and the type of person you're becoming. Ask yourself questions like these: "What I am most and least grateful about today?", "Where did I sense God most today?", "Where did I miss Him?", "Where was I most fulfilled?" "Where was I most drained?", "Where was I the happiest?" and "Where was I the saddest?". As you examine your soul, pay close attention to what God teaches you.