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| Some of our neighbors in Liberia. |
Love your neighbor as you love yourself? Couldn’t he have said, “Everyone fend for themselves?” Or maybe, “Love your neighbor so that they have all their needs?”
But that isn’t how Jesus taught we are to love. He said, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
How much do I love myself? What kind of clothes do I give myself? What kind of food do I feed myself? Where do I sleep at night? What is the water like that I drink? Am I really supposed to love my neighbor as I love myself?
Too often we are led astray by our pride. We think we deserve more than our neighbor because we work harder than our neighbor or we work smarter than our neighbor. We think we are allowed to live more blessed than our neighbor because of who we are and what we have done. Oh, the pride.
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| Palm is a source of life for the Liberian people. Sadly, you can see a bloated stomach one of the kids in the background. |
Are we living in a way that everyone can live? Or are we living in a way that only a few can live?
We have been greatly blessed here in America. But that blessing comes with a great responsibility. With great blessings comes great responsibility. With our blessings, we are to be a blessing. We have been blessed, not for self-indulgent enjoyment, but to be a blessing to those who need blessed.
Are we a blessing? Or are we just blessed? Do we live in opulence while allowing others to wallow in their plight? How long do you think that blessing will last if we are not using it to bless others?
Now I understand that we don’t want to just give handouts. But how about handups? How about we help in such a way that we can actually bring about a better world for those less fortunate? Instead of watching television, saving for another vacation, spending countless hours on the internet, or reading another book, maybe we could invest in making the lives of others better.
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| A neighbor of ours standing by a tree in the city of Buchanan, Liberia. |
God hears the cry of the afflicted. And He is prompting His people to go help. Are we listening? Or are we just too busy. What happens if we don't listen?
Love your neighbor as yourself.
This is part of a series that I wrote showing the mission trip I took to Liberia.
I divided the subjects into individual pages, for ease of use.
Here are a few articles that I wrote upon my return:
One Drop
One Drop
