The Art of Neighbouringናሙና

Becoming Christlike

As we discussed yesterday, Jesus is the epitome of knowing God and loving people. As we grow in our relationships with God, the goal should always be that of becoming more Christlike. 

We see in John 3:16 the greatest act of love, that of God loving the world so much that He gave His one and only Son to die for us. Jesus spent His life here on earth walking alongside other human beings. Throughout His life and ministry, time and time again, Jesus shows us how we ought to treat others.

In the Bible, we see Jesus reaching out to those around Him, His neighbors. He had a core group of disciples who were at the forefront of His ministry, those He called and chose to take alongside Him. This group had started out as His neighbors. Maybe there were some among them that Jesus got along with better than others; however, He never let His discomfort restrict His ministry efforts.

Jesus modelled to His disciples, and us, that one needs to constantly be looking out—looking out for the tax collector who strives to catch a glimpse of Jesus, knowing his own sin, or the woman whose lifestyle excludes her from the community, while facing the reality that she needs to change but doesn’t know how to in and of herself.

Jesus interacts with the world around Him. His relationship with the Father propels Him out, moving past His comfortable relationships and modelling to us that we need to go further, look out wider. We need to follow God’s example; we need to walk in love and give of ourselves.   

Take some time to quiet your heart. Have you felt a nudge from God in the past few weeks to reach out to someone—an acquaintance, a friend from your past, a neighbor, or even a complete stranger? Take a moment to pray about an appropriate response. Maybe it’s time to pray for that person and send them an encouragement. Maybe it’s time to slow down so you can take a few minutes to properly engage with that person. If no-one comes to mind, trust God to highlight someone outside of your normal sphere of influence to connect with.