Love Your NeighborSample

Facing Obstacles

As you care for your neighbors, and especially as you begin to see lives changed, it’s easy to get excited. Watching the love of Jesus transform someone from the inside out is a truly special experience, and it’s normal for the high of that experience to propel you toward continuing to love your neighbors.

But what do you do when you hit a wall? Or encounter a setback? Or everything around you seems to be going wrong? How do you continue loving your neighbors in those kinds of circumstances?

In Acts 4, we find out Peter and John were thrown in prison because of the way they were proclaiming the gospel after healing the man at the temple gate. What a swift setback that would have been! The next day, Peter and John were brought before the religious leaders who asked them how the healing happened. Verse 8 tells us that Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit as he answered, sharing about the power of Jesus at work in their lives.

Depending on where you live and how you care for your neighbors, you probably won’t be thrown in prison like Peter and John. But all of us will face obstacles. And regardless of the barriers you experience, it’s important to decide right now how you’ll respond. Sometimes, it will be tempting to give up and decide the effort isn’t worth your time. Instead, be encouraged to lean in. That’s what Peter did as he took the Holy Spirit’s lead and followed His prompting to proclaim the gospel to the people around him.

In addition to taking next steps as the Holy Spirit helps you see them, remember what we’ve talked about so far in this Bible Plan. Having the support of a strong community is essential to navigating obstacles when they come your way. So is remembering the ways you’ve seen God at work in people’s lives in the past, as you’ve partnered with Him to meet their needs. These supports will sustain you through difficult days and seasons.

Remember, God is with you, guiding you as you care for your neighbors. We’ll look at this more on the final day of this Plan.

Consider: What are some obstacles you might face as you care for your neighbors? Choose how you’ll respond to those challenges now, before you face them.