thoughts
how to treat our neighbors
Passage: "The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these." Mark 12:31
Something rarely seen in the world today is someone who really cares about their fellow man. Sure, people care about each other, but usually there's some sort of reciprocal effect going on for it to take place. In other words, people have to know that the other person cares about them to care about the other person.
That's not what the Bible teaches. We're supposed to care about everyone. In 1 Corinthians 10:24, it says that "Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others." That's something you don't usually see in this day and age.
This isn't limited to just those that are easy to get along with. Ephesians 4:2 says to "be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love." It's really easy to get irritated or even angry at our brothers and sisters; it's a lot harder to do this, yet that's what we're called to do.
What's more, we should care enough about each other to support each other. Galatians 6:2 says that we should "carry each other's burdens, and in this way you fulfill the law of Christ." This doesn't mean that we should be nosy or try to solve everybody's problems. It just means sometimes that we need to be that proverbial shoulder to cry on or a sounding board.
I hope that I treat my brothers and sisters in Christ like I want to be treated. I know that I fail in this sometimes, but I pray that I will continue to get better and that I always love my neighbor with the love of Christ.