I moved around a lot as a kid. Of all of my neighborhoods, the one that stands out is my block in Atlanta, Georgia. When I was around ten years old, I was playing outside with the other neighborhood kids. We all stopped mid-play because a hot air balloon slowly descended from the sky and landed perfectly on my parent’s front lawn. Apparently, the pilot was struggling to land and made his way squarely to my parent's green grass. To us kids, this felt like a miracle! (It probably felt like a miracle for the pilot as well.)
As a little girl, that experience was noteworthy and exciting; all the neighborhood kids came running to my house to take pictures and spy on the hot air balloon. The local news came and reported on the event. That experience added so much value to my neighborhood.
That memory always gets me thinking—What does it mean to add value to a place or another person? What does it mean to add value to the world around us? Galatians 5:13-14 says,
“For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself (NLT).’”
So often, we want to change the world. We have big dreams and visions about how we can do that. But do you know how we actually change the world? Do you know how we really add value to our neighbors and our neighborhoods? We love them in Jesus’s name. World change is as simple as that—loving our neighbors.
Here are a few practical ways to love our neighbors (and by the way, if you’re wondering—your neighbor is anyone you are around and anyone God puts in your path or on your heart):
1. Look for your neighbor as if you are looking for yourself.
Loving your neighbor as you love yourself implies viewing your neighbor as an equal. God could have said, “Love your neighbor as you love your boss, your mom or dad, your children, or your employees.” But we are commanded to love our neighbors like we love ourselves. This leaves no room for jealousy, pride, or competition with our neighbors. What’s good for them is good for us. And vice-versa.
This is very intentional language from God because if we think we don’t love ourselves, we’re fooling ourselves. I mean, think about group photos for a second. Say you take a group photo and then look at the picture on your phone—whose face do you look for first?
Your own, right? (We all do it; don’t be embarrassed.) The Bible is basically saying,
“Look for your neighbor the same way you look for yourself.”
Value your neighbor in the same way you value yourself.
2. Experience God’s love for yourself.
The other truth implied in loving your neighbor as yourself – is that you love yourself! You have value to God. God wants you to understand and internalize this because, though we’re mostly the star of the group photo, we all have those days and seasons when we doubt our abilities, strength, callings, worth, and value. We don’t like our bodies or skill sets or are wrapped up in so much insecurity.
You were created as God’s image bearer. You are God’s creativity, walking on this planet for a purpose. God, in Jesus, is pleased with you. Tape that to your mirror; tattoo it on your soul – do whatever you can to remember that truth.
You are so loved by God. So, love yourself and your neighbor.
3. Serve your neighbor as you serve yourself.
Think about this for a second—how do you actually, practically love yourself? A healthy person adds value to herself without even really thinking much about it. You feed yourself, clothe yourself, bathe yourself. You take care of yourself. You work hard, have fun, give yourself rest, educate yourself, exercise yourself, help yourself, etc.
God says to do that for others. Loving our neighbors doesn’t have to be this big ordeal. In the regular rhythms of life, we have an invitation from God to add value to others. Are you making yourself a dessert? Make one for a neighbor. Are you mowing your lawn? Mow your neighbor’s lawn. Are you buying a new candle or essential oil? Buy your neighbor one, too. Are you protesting against or writing about injustice? Protest the injustice your neighbor (locally or globally) experiences.
Let’s start with this basic foundation - we are invited to love our neighbors the same way we love ourselves.
Hot air balloons notwithstanding, we can add value to our neighbors and our neighborhoods for eternity by loving them as ourselves.
Some practical ways to add value to your neighborhoods:
- Random acts of kindness- pay for the coffee of the person behind you in line.
- Volunteer for an organization whose mission you believe in.
- Send a meaningful Bible verse or a word of encouragement to a hurting neighbor.
- Ask a friend how you can pray for them.
- Meet practical needs- offer to do laundry, babysit, or run errands for a neighbor- especially if you know they are struggling.
- If you have a yard or communal area, move a firepit to the front and have a neighborhood S’mores party.
- Frequent a local restaurant or coffee shop to build relationships and add value to the economy.
Photo Credit: Unsplash/Mathyas Kurmann
