Loving Thy Neighbor

This is so good that I wanted to post it for my friend Lisa, who is currently befriending one of her new neighbors.

Project analysis

by John Fischer (senior writer for Purpose-Driven Life daily devotionals)

I have been an evangelical Christian for a long time. I have been taught in evangelical institutions. We are not called “evangelicals” for nothing. That word means evangelism is a priority for us. We are always hearing how important it is to witness to those who don’t know Christ. And witnessing is OK, but actually leading someone to the Lord is the pinnacle of spiritual attainment. Good evangelicals are result-oriented.

It’s hard when you are schooled in this kind of thinking to not end up seeing non-Christians as projects. Their worth to you lies in the fact that they could be possible jewels in your crown. The more people you save, the more important you are to God, and the more confident you can be of your own salvation. Yes, I’m being pretty ruthless here, but I know all these thoughts and feelings all too well, and I am guessing I am not the only one.

Our evangelical mission in the world is very important. It is why we are here – why we aren’t all raptured as soon as we are saved. But I am learning that unless my name is Billy Graham, my role in evangelizing the world is more related to my lifestyle in the world – befriending and loving those around me who may not know Christ, and letting my witness be the natural outgrowth of what Christ means to me. I’m not a salesman. I’m not a missionary, spending two years of my life knocking on doors. I am a neighbor. A co-worker. A fellow student. A soccer dad. Ultimately, I am a friend, and my friendship is not measured by whether or not someone becomes a Christian, but on how loved and accepted they are by me.

I don’t go next door to witness. I go next door to borrow the lawn mower, which may lead to loaning something of mine in return, which may lead to finding something in common, which may lead to doing things together, which may lead to a friendship, which will undoubtedly end up in my being a witness, but that’s not the point. I’m not done when I witness. I’m called by Jesus to love my neighbor, and I’m never done doing that. People know it when they are seen as a project. People know it when you really don’t like being around them, you are just putting up with them so you can fulfill your witnessing obligation. I am learning to love people, to value who they are, regardless of their standing with God. And I’m pretty sure that’s how God feels about them, too. “He does not want anyone to perish, so he is giving more time for everyone to repent.” (2 Peter 3:9) Let’s focus today on loving and serving someone who doesn’t know Christ. Who knows, we might even be a witness in the process.

Keep up the good work, Lisa!