Live Wisely
Reading: 1 Kings 22; 2 Chronicles 11-19; Colossians 4
5 Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. 6 Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone. (Colossians 4:5-6 NLT)
For many years, I read the book of Proverbs each month, a chapter a day. Proverbs is primarily focused on the instruction “Live wisely,” and it’s mostly about living so that life is made richer and better by the positive consequences of our decisions and behavior. This Colossians “Live wisely” is a little different in that it’s about how we live among the people of our community who are not Christ-followers.
In the neighborhood where Jean and I live, our neighbors in all but one of the nearest five or six houses to us are not regular church-attenders. In our culture, we tend to assume that people who don’t “go to church” are not believers. As I’ve begun to get acquainted with my near neighbors, it’s clear that while they aren’t Christians, they aren’t hostile to faith at all. They just don’t see the point in it all!
I don’t live badly in my neighborhood, on my street, among my non-Christian neighbors. I don’t let my lawn go to weeds and dandelions, I don’t host wild, loud, late-night parties, I don’t let my dog run loose or mess on my neighbors’ lawn.
My problem is my remote garage door opener. My problem is in failing to make the most of every opportunity. I often come home, drive the car into the garage, close the door, and go in the house without any interaction with neighbors who are in their yards. Much of the time I’m a good neighbor in the sense that I’m not a bad neighbor, but not in the sense that I’m helping in any positive, practical way.
Warm weather is here now and we’re outside more, so there’re more opportunities for good-neighborliness. Our neighbor across the street recently died and his wife is in assisted living. There will soon be new neighbors to meet. The couple in the next house sold and moved. New neighbors coming soon! New neighbors, new conversations, new connections. It’s up to me to keep taking the next right step.
Prayer:
Father, This is a good word for me today. It’s timely and specific and actionable. Please help me take the time to think through the action point. I want to be a good neighbor, not merely not a bad neighbor. Help me to make the best use of every opportunity to keep the conversation going. Amen.