Your Christianity becomes questionable when you claim you love God but in your actions, you have zero love for your neighbor.
In the teachings of Jesus Christ, He emphasized we love our neighbors.
Who Is A Neighbour?
A person who lives near another irrespective of their gender, tribe, culture, race, profession or religion.
A neighbor can also be any man be it a stranger or a heathen. (Exodus 20:10)
We are commanded to love our neighbors as ourselves. (Mark 12:31)
How you would love to be treated both in words and actions, do the same to your neighbour. You don’t wish to die so don’t wish it for another.
The second criterion to abide in the tabernacle (presence) of God is focus on our neighbour.
- He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour. KJV
What Is The Meaning Of Backbiting?
To backbite means to talk maliciously about someone who is not present.
In simple terms, to backbite means to slander, spitefully talk about someone who is absent or to attack the reputation of another in the absence of the person.
Talkativeness and slandering are synonymous with the female gender like people say. But when it comes to daughters/princesses of the Most High, loving our neighbours should be synonymous with us, because we are different.
It profits nothing to slander or destroy one’s reputation. Don’t speak evil of any, or make the mistakes/faults of others the subject of your conversation.
If you take pleasure to slander or ridicule your fellow human being then, your Christianity should be questioned.
Doing evil to someone is not an unconscious act but a conscious, deliberate and willful act.
You deliberately cause someone to shed tears, feel less human about themselves even to the point of changing their physique or even thinking suicide.
What Is A Reproach?
An expression of rebuke or disapproval.
It can also be explained as an act of criticizing someone, especially for not being successful or not doing what is expected.
We have at one point in our life been unsuccessful in something. Also we would have been rebuked for something that wasn’t expected.
How would you feel if you were constantly criticized or rebuked for that unsuccessful act of yours?
How would you feel if that disappointment you experienced becomes a song being sung by others to your hearing or even in your absence?
Why spread or propagate a sin, mistake, injury of another?
So many are down never to rise again because of another’s actions.
Some are experiencing health challenges because of words spoken to them and actions meted to them.
There are others who have been pushed to the wall because of another.
By your actions you have sown discord among people. The Bible says you’re an abomination to the Lord. (Proverbs 15:8 and 28:9).
Yet, we scream, cry and lift up our hands to praise the Lord. We forget that the prayer of a sinner is an abomination to the Lord.
If the prayer of a sinner is an abomination to the Lord, then how much of an abomination is the sinner’s presence in the presence of the Lord?
Think about this.
We wonder why our prayers are not answered. Who knows if it’s because both we and our prayers are abominable to the Lord.
Take a bold step by confessing to that neighbour of yours. Pray for those who are not within your reach any more.
Ask God for forgiveness and turn a new leaf.
If we must abide in the Tabernacle (Presence) of God and dwell in His Holy Hill, we must start loving our neighbors.
