Hello my lovelies! Have you ever wondered, “What does it mean to love your neighbor?” Today’s post is all about how we can love the people God’s placed in our lives. As feminine ladies, loving others is a key character trait to develop. And it truly is incredibly fulfilling! 

Here are 6 simple ways to love your neighbor today.

1. Pray for them.

If you’re a born again Christian, you probably pray often. But I’ve found that it’s easy to pray more for myself than for others. After all, I know exactly what I need prayer for, and how much I need God’s grace. I may not notice when others struggle, and I sometimes forget what their needs are.

If I want to love my neighbor as myself, I should pray for them with the same concern that I pray for myself. I should be earnestly asking God to help them, to bless them, and to direct their steps. 

Jesus promised, “That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 18:19) There is power in prayer when two of God’s children agree to pray for something. 

If you don’t know how to pray for someone, just ask them! You may be surprised at how they will open up to you. 

Nobody walks between the raindrops.

We all have battles to fight and tears to wipe away. Let’s reach out to others in love and bear one another’s burdens.

2. Help someone who can’t repay your kindness.

Sometimes, our kind deeds have a shadow of selfishness about them. We give gifts to those who will repay us. Or we do a favour and expect it to be returned or at least thanked. We befriend those who are successful, talented, and powerful, hoping to build our little networks. 

But how do we treat people who are less fortunate? Do we show them equal respect and kindness? Or do we ignore and overlook them? 

As children of God, we should be kind to the unthankful and the evil (Luke 6:35). Instead of looking to get something, our motive should be Christlike love.

When we give to those who can’t repay us, God will repay us. That is more than enough.

3. Practice the art of compromise. 

Everyone has conflict. It’s part of life. But the key to loving your neighbor through conflict (and staying friends) is learning to compromise.

When you have a disagreement with someone, try to see the issue through their eyes. Ask yourself, “How can I meet them halfway? What is really important to me in this situation? What is really important to them?” Seek to find a middle ground of compromise.

Keeping the relationship is more important than winning the argument. Of course, you should always follow the truths of the Bible. But most arguments are about issues where we have Christian liberty to disagree. 

Keep a humble heart, and be flexible. 

4. Visit someone who’s lonely.

Another way to love your neighbor is by visiting people. Most of us know someone who’s lonely…maybe a widower, a sick person, or a busy mama who never gets to talk to adults. If you have a musical instrument, bring it along and play for them. You could bake them cookies or bring them flowers. 

If you have little brothers or sisters, bring them along, too. There is nothing better than a child’s laughter to brighten someone’s day.

When my family and I have done this, we wanted be a blessing. But we always received a bigger blessing out of it! It truly is more blessed to give than to receive.

5. Invite someone to your home.

Six of the sweetest words you will ever hear are, “Would you come over for dinner?” And people today don’t hear them very often! Many people are so busy that they don’t even have sit-down family dinners together. 

Hospitality is a wonderful way to love your neighbor. Whether you’re still at home, on your own, or have a family, you can extend hospitality to others. It will give you the opportunity to share Christ or to encourage people in their walk with God. And it’s a good chance to practice your cooking skills!

Here are some tips for a successful dinner party.

• Clean up but don’t overdo it (especially busy mamas), or you’ll have no energy for all the fun.
• Set the table before they arrive.
• Offer water, tea, and coffee when they arrive.
• Work on timing your meal so everything is hot and ready at the same time (meat, potatoes, salad, etc). Warm the plates for the hot portion of the meal.
• Pair light meals with rich desserts, and rich meals with light desserts. Mmmm…
• Offer coffee/tea with dessert. Have cream, milk, and almond milk on hand.
• Think of conversational topics ahead of time. 
• Focus on encouraging your guests and getting to know them better.
• Thank everyone for coming!

Hospitality is always so much fun, and it’s definitely worth the investment.  

6. Practice being a good listener.

There’s a reason why we have two ears and one mouth! The apostle James challenges us to be, “swift to hear, slow to speak….” (James 1:19) How can we become better listeners?

First, we need to listen to UNDERSTAND rather than listening to RESPOND. It’s tempting to plan ahead mentally and be thinking, “Okay, what should I say next?” But that distracts us from understanding people and reading their body language/facial expressions. It’s better to slow down, listen, and then think of something to say. 

To be good listeners, we should not interrupt or talk over others. Instead, we should wait until they have finished their thought before responding.

Sometimes, you will meet someone who is very lonely. To compensate, they will talk on and on. Just be ready to listen, and ask good questions. You may be meeting a need that no one else can. Being lonely in a world full of people is pretty sad. Be there for others.

Good listeners are hard to find in our culture. Let’s practice listening well to love our neighbors better.

Let’s Chat:

Of these 6 ways to love your neighbor, which one can you do today? Perhaps you could invite someone to your home for tea or visit a lonely shut-in. Maybe, instead of trying to win an argument, you could work to find a compromise. And you can always pray for someone in need. What would you add to my list? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comment section!

love,

Claudine