Be Willing To Speak

A gentleman who is a new neighbor came over yesterday and introduced himself to me. He saw me working out on the garage and wanted to let me know he and his wife would be moving next door soon. He told me a little about himself and his family. He told me he had some experience in home repair and offered his assistance if I needed it. If just five minutes, I got to know someone who cared.

After he left, I realized I was really impressed that such a young man would be willing to be neighborly and offer assistance as a new neighbor. It reminded me of how we should be more neighborly in the areas where we live. It reminded me I need to take time to seek out someone daily to be neighborly to and to show God’s love.

Many times we are so busy or preoccupied that we are not looking around to see our neighbors. We are only looking forward. Other times we are to quiet and shy to speak to others. When we are too busy or too shy, we don’t realize the opportunities we are missing to meet new people and learn about them. We must be willing to speak to others so we can get to know them and so we can help them.

Just last week at work, I introduced myself to someone who I could have easily just passed by. Actually, she looked a little familiar so I asked her name. My old memory was wrong because she didn’t know me but we did begin to talk. We learned in just five minutes we had a few things in common at work and we are going to meet again to see how we can help each other to be more effective in our jobs.

How many opportunities have passed us by during the last few days, weeks or months? How many people have we walked past and didn’t even make eye contact with? We need to remember these people are God’s people. These people, whether the live near us or far away, are our neighbors. We all have a sharing opportunity to talk with people we see on the street, at home or at work.

Taking time, taking just five minutes, is a start to get to know someone. We can learn their name. We can learn where they are from. We can learn what they enjoy doing or their line of work. It only takes five minutes to get to know someone new. That first encounter will lead to a possible new friendship. That first encounter will lead to other opportunities. That first encounter will help us to learn to love our neighbors as ourselves as God commands us.

Galatians 5:13-14 “For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

We can use those opportunities to know how we can help them in the future. We can use those opportunities to learn more about them. We can use those opportunities to share God’s love and God’s word with them. If we don’t take action on these opportunities and if we aren’t willing to speak, we are missing a blessing God has in store for us and for others. We are missing an opportunity to help and make a difference.