Love Your Neighbour

 

Jesus said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. ³⁸ This is the great and first commandment. ³⁹ And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. ~ Matthew 22:37-39, ESV

In “Wanna do outreach? Let’s first talk about love,” Pastor Jeff Chong of Hope Singapore Church said, “Our neighbours are anyone that we encounter; that God has brought into our sphere of influences. Everyone is our neighbour.”

Thus if Christ’s commandment is to love God and love people (see the verses above), then it has to be ongoing acts of love toward others especially our neighbours located around us.

In post-pandemic Singapore, while maintaining safe management measures in our interactions with others, there are also opportunities to reach out and love our neighbours in meaningful ways. These may include such acts to bless the business community in Joo Chiat during the festive seasons, for instance.

In “Three ways you can engage your neighbors,” author and pastor Ed Stetzer passionately calls for befriending our neighbours, not just getting acquainted with them: “if you want to engage our community effectively and see lasting fruit you need to be willing to give your time, energy, and affection to your neighbors.”

God is gently working in the hearts of those near you, and He is inviting you to partner with Him in showing kindness to strangers and bringing good news to neighbours. Will you respond in committed action?