We were outside today, in the back yard, working on the garden (this one has not been planted yet). We were minding our own business and all having a great time and really enjoying the lovely weather when one of our neighbors hung over our fence trying to get our dog to "shut up". Then he noticed we were out there and started telling me to get my dog quiet because he barks all the time. (All the while Rocket is barking at this "stranger" because he won't leave. Ha!)
I will spare all the other details because that is not why I am blogging about him. :)
I tried really hard not to be rude to him, even though he was rude to me. I really did. But as the day went on I started thinking about "loving our neighbors" and whether or not I did that even though we had a disagreement.
I concluded that even though I wasn't rude to him, I was argumentative and defensive, and that is not loving. He attacked me and I naturally wanted to attack back. I did control myself, but I was far from "loving" to him.
Great Christian witness, huh? :(
Matthew 5:43-44 "You have heard that our fathers were told, `Love your neighbors -- and hate your enemy.' But I tell you, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! (CJB)
Galatians 5:14 For the whole of the Torah (Law) is summed up in this one sentence: "Love your neighbor as yourself" (CJB)
I'll stop there, but there are other passages about loving our neighbors and enemies. This one also hit home.
1 John 2:3-The way we can be sure we know him is if we are obeying his commands. 4-Anyone who says, "I know him," but isn't obeying his commands is a liar - the truth is not in him. (CJB)
ouch
So if we know Him, we should keep His commands. And what are His commands?
Mark 12:29-Jesus answered, "The most important is, 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30-And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' 31-The second is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."
Easier said than done when life throws you unexpected curve balls, like the neighbor unexpectedly complaining about the dog we've had for 5 years now....this is the first he has ever said anything to us in the 10 years we have been here, always with barking dogs. So I just wasn't prepared.
But I will be prepared for next time I see him. I will give him my phone number and ask him to just call me in the future if Rocket is barking loudly and ask him if there is anything else we can do (short of training him not to bark....he's our alarm system!) to make him happier. Hopefully we can patch things up with him and show him Christ's love instead of my pride!
I will spare all the other details because that is not why I am blogging about him. :)
I tried really hard not to be rude to him, even though he was rude to me. I really did. But as the day went on I started thinking about "loving our neighbors" and whether or not I did that even though we had a disagreement.
I concluded that even though I wasn't rude to him, I was argumentative and defensive, and that is not loving. He attacked me and I naturally wanted to attack back. I did control myself, but I was far from "loving" to him.
Great Christian witness, huh? :(
Matthew 5:43-44 "You have heard that our fathers were told, `Love your neighbors -- and hate your enemy.' But I tell you, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! (CJB)
Galatians 5:14 For the whole of the Torah (Law) is summed up in this one sentence: "Love your neighbor as yourself" (CJB)
I'll stop there, but there are other passages about loving our neighbors and enemies. This one also hit home.
1 John 2:3-The way we can be sure we know him is if we are obeying his commands. 4-Anyone who says, "I know him," but isn't obeying his commands is a liar - the truth is not in him. (CJB)
ouch
So if we know Him, we should keep His commands. And what are His commands?
Mark 12:29-Jesus answered, "The most important is, 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30-And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' 31-The second is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."
Easier said than done when life throws you unexpected curve balls, like the neighbor unexpectedly complaining about the dog we've had for 5 years now....this is the first he has ever said anything to us in the 10 years we have been here, always with barking dogs. So I just wasn't prepared.
But I will be prepared for next time I see him. I will give him my phone number and ask him to just call me in the future if Rocket is barking loudly and ask him if there is anything else we can do (short of training him not to bark....he's our alarm system!) to make him happier. Hopefully we can patch things up with him and show him Christ's love instead of my pride!
