Neighborly Love

Read: Ephesians 4:29-32

Love your neighbor as yourself. —Matthew 22:39

The Carnegie Foundation discovered that to be successful on the job, relational skills are far more important than knowledge. Its research found that only 15 percent of a person's success is determined by job knowledge and technical skills. Eighty-five percent is determined by an individual's attitude and ability to relate to other people.

Scripture commands us to "be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you" (Ephesians 4:32). In fact, it tells us to love our "neighbor" as we love ourselves (Matthew 22:39). And a neighbor is not only someone who lives near us or works next to us, but anyone we meet on life's journey—especially those in need.

So having an attitude of courtesy, care, and concern for others is a basic spiritual principle. It is also the most important guideline for congenial and happy relationships. Indeed, it is even the golden key to vocational success.

Our purpose for modeling a Christlike spirit of neighborly love, though, is that we want to obey God, not just to achieve success at work. After all, our supreme vocation as believers is to embody and practice the neighbor-loving character of our Lord. —Vernon Grounds

Who measures how we've done in life
And judges our success?
Our God, who gives rewards to those
Who live in righteousness. —Branon