Reading Time: 2 minutes

Today we will be learning how to love your neighbour as yourself from the story of Tom.

Tom glanced outside of the window, away from his video game, and noticed the dark clouds signaling rain any moment now. He returned to his game till it began to rain. It rained for hours. Remember the story is about ‘love your neighbour as yourself.’

Later that day, Fikayo, Tom’s roommate returned from class and found his clothes drenched on the line. He knew Tom had seen him this morning when he was washing. Why hadn’t Tom helped him to pack his clothes off the line before it rained? Did Tom not learn “love your neighbour as yourself”?

“Tom, why didn’t you help me to pack my clothes when it began to rain?’ asked Fikayo.
‘I don’t know.’ Tom replied.

Fikayo shook his head sadly and left Tom to his video game. “You must learn to love your neighbour as yourself,” he thought as he left.

In the bible, God laid down some instructions to the Israelites concerning this “love your neighbour as yourself” matter.

You might see your fellow Israelite’s ox or sheep wandering away. Don’t ignore it. Take it back to its owner. The owner might not live close to you. Or you might not know who he is. Then take the animal home with you. Keep it until the owner comes looking for it. Then give it back to him.
Deuteronomy 22:1 – 2 ICB

He says that it is a sin if you act nonchalantly towards your neighbor’s belongings. Not that you should be on the lookout for their things. No. What it means is that, when you are in a position to help keep their things safe, you should do so. Love your neighbour as yourself.

Just like Tom in our story. He knew it was going to rain and he didn’t help his roommate – his neighbor, to pack his clothes in. Even if Fikayo was not his roommate, but because he saw him washing and Tom was around when it began to rain. He should have portrayed “love your neighbour as yourself.”

All he could have done was to take some minutes to demonstrate how much he loves his neighbor by helping to pack his clothes from the line. Learn to love your neighbour as yourself.

God isn’t saying that you should love your neighbour as yourself because they are good, but because He wants you to grow to a point where you can love people irrespective of who they are or what they do to you.

May God bless you and give you a heart of love for people. Amen

Prayer:
Lord, help me to act responsibly towards people’s things around me, in Jesus’ name, amen.

Action point:
Be watchful of people’s thing’s around you; love your neighbour as yourself

Read yesterday’s article here

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