Love Your Neighbor

Do you love your neighbor?

Martin Luther once said, “A true Christian lives and labors on earth not for himself but for his neighbor. Therefore the whole spirit of his life compels him to do even that which he needs not do, but which is profitable and necessary for his neighbor.” I enjoy studying history and find it interesting that the global economy was relatively flat until the Protestant Reformation. When the Bible was distributed into the hands of commoners, people like you and me, it set in motion what came to be known as the protestant work ethic. At that time, economic growth began to explode. History shows that the economic growth of the West correlates with the spread and adoption of God’s Word. 

Martin Luther believed in the dignity of work. When we love our neighbors, we seek to serve them and find ways to enhance their lives. It’s good for us, for them, and for the entire economy. All good businesses provide products and services that help others in some dimension of their lives. A loving, caring person is much more likely to have the attitude and ideas which can sustain a company than one who is trying to gain only a personal advantage over others. As followers of Christ, we’re to love our neighbors in words and in deeds. Proverbs 3:28 says, “Do not say to your neighbor, ‘Go, and come again, tomorrow and I will give it’ – when you have it with you.” We should look for ways to be helpful and attentive to those with whom we interact on a regular basis, not just someone we randomly encounter on the street or marketplace. Working as unto the Lord is the work ethic that changes the world and your neighborhood.

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