What do we do when it’s not so easy to love our neighbors? The last couple of weeks we discussed in detail blooming where we are planted here on the podcast, and one way we can bloom where we are planted is to care for and love those around us. God calls it to “love your neighbor.” How are we doing at loving our neighbors? Who is considered our neighbor? And what do we do if our neighbors exasperate us or confound us? Well, this is the subject of today’s episode. Let’s find some encouragement and hope for our real lives right now as we journey through this subject together.
Is there someone in your life who bugs the bajeebies out of you?
Or someone you can’t seem to get along with, no matter how hard you try?
In Mark 12:30-31, Jesus instructs us in what He says is two of the most important commandments:
And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”
Mark 12:30-31 NLT
Love your neighbor as yourself.
What does that even mean? And who is “your neighbor”?
We peer into Luke, chapter 10, as we see Jesus answer this question. His story of the Good Samaritan illustrates perfectly how to love our neighbors.
I share a personal story of a time when a fellow Christian voiced to me her thoughts and words of condemnation and disappointment in me. Her words affected me greatly, yet I was reminded of a truth I learned long ago.
Hurting people hurt people.
Those who are hurting will oftentimes turn around and hurt others. You know how that goes, right? We look at a story Zig Ziglar shares about kicking the cat. It helps us understand why sometimes hurting people do hurt others.
The woman on the phone that day was likely hurting, and she took it out on me. It’s in those instances where we can choose to love our neighbors or not.
What do you do when it’s not so easy to love your neighbor?
In this episode I also share a powerful quote my husband said to me a few years ago. It still impacts me today. I also highlight nine ways we can choose to show love when it’s not so easy to love your neighbor.
Click on the player above to listen to this week’s 20-minute episode.
We are discussing loving our neighbors over on our Encouragement for Real Life Community on Facebook all week long. I invite you over there to join in the conversation.
If you found some real-life encouragement in this episode, please subscribe, rate, and review it so others can find this encouragement as well.
And I invite you to check out the Free Resources on my site, designed for you in mind.
I pray God opens our eyes this week to see how some of the weeds in our lives may be flowers in disguise. May He also help us to love our neighbors through His love and power. The world could use a little more love these days, don’t you think? Thank you for being here, friend. God bless you.
Links in this episode:
How to Bloom Where You Are Planted, Part 2 – Episode 32
Mark 12:30-31 NLT
Luke 10: 25-37 NIV, Parable of the Good Samaritan
Kick the Cat story by Zig Ziglar
“A weed is just a flower out of place” original quote by George Washington Carver
1 Thessalonians 5:11 NIV
Encouragement for Real Life Community on Facebook
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