I want you to be concerned about your next door neighbor. Do you know your next door neighbor?
Mother Teresa
Read more: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/m/mother_teresa.html#ixzz1bwtGO2Mc
'Do I know my next door neighbor?' Well, of course they are the ones I smile and wave to as we're getting our mail or piling in the car to go to church. I know some neighbors better than others, the ones who are friendly and easy to talk to. . . I'm not sure about the new neighbors though - I've seen their teenagers smoking behind the house and staying up late on the weekends blaring music. I don't want my children to be influenced by them, so it might be best to just ignore them for now.
I must admit these thoughts have slowly crept into my pharisee plagued brain lately. Perhaps the neighbors I need to speak with the most aren't the most lovely or likeminded, but the ones who need to know the love of God, and I sit here in my comfortable house keeping Him all to myself. Christ commanded us to love our neighbors that means our 'homeless, Muslim, black, white, Jewish, Christian, atheist, gay, racist neighbor' (taken from Christian t-shirt). And I know I have all of these and more just in my own neighborhood alone, yet my neighbors don't even know me or know that there is a God who cares for them. . and how will they know unless they are told.
My sweet husband is in Kenya right now ministering to souls hungry for the Gospel. I am so glad he is there seeing hundreds come to a saving knowledge of our Lord. And I long to go one day too. . . but perhaps my mission field has been given to me on my own street. Perhaps the courage to tell the world about Him starts when I tell the one beside me.
So love your neighbor, as I love mine.
Mother Teresa
Read more: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/m/mother_teresa.html#ixzz1bwtGO2Mc
'Do I know my next door neighbor?' Well, of course they are the ones I smile and wave to as we're getting our mail or piling in the car to go to church. I know some neighbors better than others, the ones who are friendly and easy to talk to. . . I'm not sure about the new neighbors though - I've seen their teenagers smoking behind the house and staying up late on the weekends blaring music. I don't want my children to be influenced by them, so it might be best to just ignore them for now.
I must admit these thoughts have slowly crept into my pharisee plagued brain lately. Perhaps the neighbors I need to speak with the most aren't the most lovely or likeminded, but the ones who need to know the love of God, and I sit here in my comfortable house keeping Him all to myself. Christ commanded us to love our neighbors that means our 'homeless, Muslim, black, white, Jewish, Christian, atheist, gay, racist neighbor' (taken from Christian t-shirt). And I know I have all of these and more just in my own neighborhood alone, yet my neighbors don't even know me or know that there is a God who cares for them. . and how will they know unless they are told.
My sweet husband is in Kenya right now ministering to souls hungry for the Gospel. I am so glad he is there seeing hundreds come to a saving knowledge of our Lord. And I long to go one day too. . . but perhaps my mission field has been given to me on my own street. Perhaps the courage to tell the world about Him starts when I tell the one beside me.
So love your neighbor, as I love mine.
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