Good Neighbor Personal
Work There are many ways we can approach personal work and evangelism. One way to think about personal work is from the perspective of being a good neighbor. Live by the Golden Rule A lawyer wanted to justify himself and asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?” Jesus answers him by telling the parable of the good Samaritan, a story about three men who came upon a man who was beaten and robbed. The priest and Levite passed by the man, but a Samaritan stopped and helped, doctoring the injured man’s wounds and paying his medical expenses. Jesus asked, which of the three men proved to be a neighbor to the man. The lawyer correctly replied, “The one who showed mercy toward him” (Lk. 10:37). Feel Compassion / Show Mercy A compassionate person has a sympathetic consciousness of others' distress, together with a desire to alleviate it (Webster). Compassion is an attitude (feeling), whereby we are moved to extend mercy to others. This is an attitude we must develop as Christians, as we grow in the grace and knowledge of God (Col. 3:12). A merciful person provides the needs people can't provide for themselves. Because of a compassionate attitude (feeling), we see a person who needs help and provide the things that are lacking in their life, as we have opportunity (Gal. 6:10). Jesus teaches us to be merciful.
Compassionate & Merciful Personal Workers We contact people daily who need help. Some people are lost in sin, some are sick, some are lonely, some need a friend, etc. All of them need a compassionate neighbor to show mercy and extend a helping hand. Will you be their neighbor, and thereby be a good personal worker for the Lord?
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