Fresh Eyes On Famous Bible Sayings - Love Your NeighborSample

Don't Scrimp

We all like to save money and time, especially when we have less than we need. The pressure to get something done that “fits our budget” and “works for now” tempts us to use duct tape when better-quality work and materials are called for. It is simply not loving your chronological neighbor when you think, "This will last as long as I need it. It’ll have to do".

If doing a repair job properly on the back deck calls for using pressure-treated lumber, then loving your neighbor means using pressure-treated lumber if you can afford it. But I don’t want to spend that much, and anyway we’ll probably sell the house in a couple of years. Sorry, but that attitude violates Jesus’ law of neighbor love.

If it irks you to think you have to spend more money than you need to get by for now, think of it as an act of worship to the Lord in two ways. First, imitating the Lord who does all things with excellence is the highest form of worship, higher than the most emotion-filled worship music.

Second, helping ensure people’s future well-being at your own expense is an act of self-sacrifice that honors and pleases the Lord. Scripture says, “Give generously to them [by loaning money you will not get back] and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to” (Deut. 15:10).

Some of us may be living on “daily bread,” striving to be good stewards of what little we have. God understands. We are simply called to prayerfully do our best with whatever He has provided us and not give Him less than that.