Be Aware

 THE QUICK SUMMARY

The simple practice of loving our neighbors has more power than the best professionally produced Sunday “show” in town.

After attending the “coolest” and fastest-growing church in town for a few months, Brian Mavis asked some of his neighbors if they would attend church with him. The neighbors said, “Thanks, but no thanks. We don’t want to be part of an institutional church … but we do want to know more about God, and we’d be happy to meet with you to learn more.” So Brian began meeting with his neighbors in his home to share the love of God.

And there it is – the call for us as Christians to do what Jesus said matters most:

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart … and love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37–40).

But loving your neighbors is hard work, right? It’s messy. It’s unpredictable. It’s time consuming. Jesus’ two commands give rise to more angst, more wrestling, more failure, and more challenge than anything else you can try to do. And yet, following those two directions will bring more clarity, joy, and satisfaction to your life than anything you have ever experienced before. For the very first time, you will probably feel you are doing what God really called you to do as a Christian and as a church or ministry leader.

In The Neighboring Church authors Brian Mavis and Rick Rusaw explore the hows of loving your neighbors. After all, loving the Lord with all your heart and following His lead automatically means loving your neighbors, because He loves them so much. 

A SIMPLE SOLUTION

A common problem in today’s society – and that includes your church – is the tendency to overcomplicate things. You probably can think back to a great idea that started out simply but soon grew to be complicated to the point the original idea was lost in all the details.

The same is often true in fulfilling God’s mission. We quickly overthink it, and them make our own creative plans and tactics for how we can best serve and fulfill God’s mission – all while forgetting His brilliantly simple plan.

Love your neighbor as yourself. Is it really so that simple? Can a walk across the street, seeking to know and love our neighbors, be the secret?

Is it possible we have created a culture of volunteers who serve others but not a culture of disciples who love their neighbors as themselves?

A new question must be asked by every Christ follower: “Would my neighbors care if I left?” Some people call this model incarnational. We call it “being the church where you live.”

What do we hope to see come from this? Simply put: changed lives and grace-filled neighborhoods. But to be specific, obeying the Great Commandment can look like:

  • Knowing the names, histories, hopes, and hurts of our neighbors.
  • Praying for our neighbors and recognizing their gifts and encouraging them.
  • Inviting neighbors over for meals and throwing block parties and playing together.
  • Helping single parents raise their children.
  • Taking care of one another when someone falls ill.
  • Encouraging one another to pursue God’s dreams for their lives.
  • Consoling one another when we suffer losses.
  • Loving our neighbors because we are Christians, not because we are trying to make them Christians.
  • Inviting neighbors to join us in ministries to foster children, mentoring children in public schools, serving meals to the elderly, etc.
  • Introducing people to Jesus as the Lord and Savior.

The goal to loving neighbors is to be best at what Jesus said matters most.

Rick Rusaw and Brian Mavis, The Neighboring Church

A NEXT STEP

What kind of neighbor are you? Take the following quiz developed by LifeBridge Christian Church.

I like my neighbors. Yes Somewhat No

My neighbors like me. Yes Somewhat No

I talk to my neighbors. Yes Somewhat No

I do nice things for my neighbors. Yes Somewhat No

I genuinely care about my neighbors. Yes Somewhat No

My neighbors invite me to their parties. Yes Somewhat No

I actually like going to my neighbor’s parties. Yes Somewhat No

I know what’s happening in my neighborhood. Yes Somewhat No

I watch out for my neighborhood. Yes Somewhat No

When people need help, they come to me. Yes Somewhat No

Tally your score as follows: 2 points for every Yes, 1 point for every Somewhat, and 0 points for every No.

What kind of neighbor are you?

17-20 points Mr. Rogers. You are the best neighbor ever. You know your neighbors, and you are engaged in your neighborhood.

13-16 points Steve Urkel. You are a little quirky and sometimes annoying, but deep down you are good-hearted and always do the right thing.

9-12 points Wilson. You are always there and are always willing to share friendly advice, but you like to stay on your side of the fence.

5-8 points Ned Flanders. You’re trying hard, but people are just not getting you.

0-4 points Newman. Not sure who would like living next to you. You are in desperate need of some neighboring help.

Adapted from The Neighboring Church by Rick Rusaw and Brian Mavis

Take a few minutes to make an intentional plan to “level up” on this neighbor identity chart. What is one thing you can do in the next week to be a better neighbor?