Coffee With The Lord

What kind of neighbors do you have?  Do you like the neighborhood where you live?  Neighbors can be a source of constant irritation.  The neighborhood where you live can be an embarrassment, a source of unhappiness and even fear.  How should a godly person deal with the issue of “neighbors?”

That is the issue the surfaced in my Bible reading today.  Here is how the Psalmist expressed his frustration with “neighbors” in Psalm 120…

“In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me.  Deliver me, O Lord, from lying lips, from a deceitful tongue! … Woe to me, that I sojourn in Meshech, that I dwell among the tents of Kedar!  Too long have I had my dwelling among those who hate peace.  I am for peace, but when I speak, they are for war!”

Ever feel that way about your neighbors or neighborhood?  The Bible indicates even Lot, Abraham’s nephew, struggled with his neighbors in Sodom and Gomorrah (read 2 Peter 2:7-8).  I know the feeling – I’ve lived next to a neighbor or two whose lifestyle, language, music (they played it very loud)… (even their kids and dog) bugged me to death.

The thing is, the Bible seems to teach us to be “nice” to our neighbors – to demonstrate Christ’s love to them… even to be a redemptive influence in our neighborhood.  There’s a parable that teaches it… the parable of the “Good Samaritan” (Luke 10:25-37).  In it Jesus asked a probing question (“who proved to be a neighbor to this man?”) and gave a direct command (“go and do likewise” – i.e. be a “neighbor” to someone).  In the Old Testament, this was God’s guidance to those living in exile in Babylon: “Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.” (Jeremiah 29:7)  Jesus put it this way: “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’  But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” (Matthew 5:43-44)

So I guess the deal is this… Christians may not share the values or lifestyle of their “neighbors” – in fact, if the truth were known their neighbors may “bug ‘em to death” – they may even, in the natural, intensely dislike their neighborhood – but God’s will is for us to “love ‘em” and be a redemptive influence in our neighborhoods (“salt and light” – Matthew 5:13-16 ).  God help us ‘eh?

A wonderful “sip” from my time of “Coffee with the Lord” today

“You, who were dead in your trespasses … God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.  He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.”  (Colossians 2:13–15 ESV)

I happen to be married to a wonderful flower gardener!  My wife, Sharon has a wonderful way with flowers!  At the house where we lived in the country she cared for a wonderful “berm” filled with beautiful plants and shrubs (see video)!  Once a flower or shrub was planted by Sharon, it became an object of constant care and attention until it matured and became a thing of beauty!

Her care and concern came to mind as I read the following verses during my time of “coffee with the Lord” … They express the concern of an apostle about those who had recently come to faith in Christ and experienced “new birth” … gardener imagery and terminology are used to express Apostle Paul’s desire for growth and maturity in the lives of the believers in Colossae…

He urged them: “As you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.” (From Colossians 2:6-7)

If I were serving as a pastor today, I think I’d use these two verses as a “charge” I’d give those who had just come to faith in Christ and were following the Lord in water baptism.  Can you picture it? … As they came out of the waters of baptism I’d say to them… “As you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, just as you have been taught, abounding with thanksgiving.”  I think It expresses beautifully what a spiritual leader with a “pastor’s heart” longs to see happen in the life of a brand new Christian!