Ten Essentials for New ChristiansSample

#8: Love Your Neighbor

As a new Christian, you are beginning to learn about the immeasurable love God has for you. He is ecstatic about you. How can you reciprocate his extravagant love? Love your neighbor. Don’t use the excuse of waiting until you find someone in the gutter who was just mugged. That is not likely to happen daily. Instead, be on the lookout for someone who needs help, or a word of encouragement, or an act of kindness. That is likely to happen daily.

We know what you may be thinking. I have to be like the Good Samaritan every day. Let’s look at it this way: Just be prepared to love your neighbor as often as God has shown his love toward you.

"Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God (1 John 3:18-19)."

Q&A

How Do I Get Along with People I Don’t Like?

For each of us, there are people we find annoying . . . less than tolerable...let’s say they are “irregular.” While they won’t suddenly become a desirable candidate for friendship the moment you are saved, God would like you to start seeing them that way.

All Christians, before they said yes to Jesus, were wallowing in sin, immorality, and rebellion against God, and we looked worse than irregular. Paul described the human condition (before salvation) as worthless filth. In that condition, we were all undesirable. We were all downright repulsive. And it was precisely when we were in that condition that Jesus loved us.

"You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on the cross." (Philippians 2:5-8)

God loved us so much that he allowed his Son to be crucified for us. In gratitude for the magnanimous display of love, forgiveness, mercy, and grace he has extended to us, we should be able to suck it up enough to show kindness to people we don’t like. Is that too much for Jesus to ask of us? So, try it. You might like it.

“Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony." (Colossians 3:12-14)