I was more familiar with people in China whom I served for six weeks on two mission trips than the neighbors I lived next door to for three years. God used this personal reality and a podcast to change the way I lived.
A year and a half into marriage, my wife, Erica, and I were on a ten-hour road trip, listening to a sermon on James 2:14-26 that challenged us to take risks with our faith. As it ended, I looked at Erica and asked, “What do we need to risk?” Her response was exactly what I was thinking. She turned to me and said, “We need to get to know our neighbors.” God was not asking us at that moment to lead more mission trips across the world or sell all of our possessions. He simply made it clear that we were to step out of our Christian home and into the world right outside our front door, literally.
The four and a half years after that moment were some of the most eye-opening, heartbreaking, and transformative times in my spiritual journey. In the first eighteen months, we went from knowing one neighbor reasonably well to discovering that there were over thirty kids in our small neighborhood, but only five of them had a dad who lived at home. We found out we lived close to drug dealers, sports fans, alcoholics, ethnic and racial diversity, single moms, and hard-working blue-collar folks. Our experiences with them were as diverse as the people themselves. We laughed as neighborhood kids danced in our front yard and cried when a teenage single mom lost her baby. I told several of our neighbors about God’s love for them, which was expressed through Jesus. At other times, I selfishly sat on my couch, refusing to get up when neighbors knocked on the door. Whether I’ve succeeded or failed, the calling remains the same for me, and it is also true for you.
Paul stated it this way to the Corinthian church, “...we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us” (2 Cor. 5:20a). As people changed by the Gospel, we are called to represent Christ everywhere, especially in places he is not represented. We live like this because God deserves to be worshiped by everyone, everywhere. Our world is broken, yet we often remain huddled with our repaired faith families. Our world is hurting, yet we often remain inside our pain-free homes. Jesus said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners” (Mark 2:17). In order to be an ambassador to a lost world, we must be willing to step outside of our homes and love those around us (in addition to loving those inside our homes). Here are a few practical steps to take once you make the decision to open the actual front door of your home:
REPENT from idolizing your home: Christians can be generous with their time and money but stingy with their homes. We must repent from worshiping the comfort of our homes. Christ must gain his rightful place as the only refuge in our lives. Life will change for you when your home becomes a hub of hospitality for the hurting rather than simply being a hotel for the healed.
PRAY for opportunities to interact with your neighbors. You’ll be amazed at how often you can talk with and serve your neighbors when you are seeking the Lord for those interactions. Prayer is a simple step to take to get outside your home, but you’ll trip up rather quickly without it.
GO OUTSIDE: I really like A/C, Wi-Fi, TV, and my feet on the coffee table; however, it’s rare for me to talk with a neighbor while inside my house. You can walk your dog, play sports with the kids in the front yard, and bring the grill to the driveway rather than keeping it on the back patio. Jesus did not physically engage humanity from the comforts of heaven, and we’ll struggle to physically engage with our neighbors from inside the comforts of our homes.
INVEST in their lives by going to your neighbor’s turf, garages, favorite restaurants, hospital rooms, and kids’ performances. A life on mission is an active life.
INVITE your neighbors into your life by having them over for a meal or to watch a sporting event in your home. You could host a block party, introduce them to your friends, or bring them to church.
You have an opportunity to make an impact for the kingdom of God where you live. The nations will one day bow their knees before Jesus, and I hope you and I can be a part of that together with our neighbors.